^  PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Shelf. 


Divii  ion      ii      ) .  wJ. .  I . .  .1 

Section.  ...X^.uD.lO^ 

Number  


tv^^W 


\fr; 


KEYS  TO   THE   WORD; 


OR, 


HELP  TO   BIBLE  STUDY. 


BY 

A.    T.     PIERSON,    D.D. 


NEW  YORK: 
ANSON    D.    F.    RANDOLPH    &    COMPANY, 

38  WEST   TVVENTV-TTIIRD   STREET. 


COPYRIGHT,    1887,    BY 

Anson  D.  F.  Randolph  &  CoMPAjnr. 


EDWARD    O.   JENKINS     SON   , 
POINTERS    AND    StEREOTYPERS, 

20  Avr///    IVilliaJH  Street,  New   York, 


TO 


EDWARD    NORTH,    L.H.D., 

Professor  of  the  Greek  Language  and  Literature  in  Hamilton 
College^ 


■WITH   THE   CULTURE   OP   THE   ATHENIAN   SCHOLAR.    BLENDS   THE 
CONSECRATION  OP  THE  CHRISTLA.N  TEACHER, 

AND 

Whose  contagious  enthusiasm  in  the  Greek  tongue,  and  child- 
like reverence  for  the  Holy  Scriptures, 

FIRST  INSPIRED   IN  THE   AUTHOR  A   DESIRE  AND  DETERMINATION 
TO  READ   THE  WORD   OF  GOD   IN  THE   ORIGINAL, 

THIS  HLT4BLE  ATTEMPT  TO  UNLOCK  SOME  OF  ITS  HIDDEN  BEAUTIBS 

IS    AFFECTIONATELY    AND    GRATEFULLY 

INSCRIBED, 


INTRODUCTION. 


THE  LAWS  OF  BIBLE  STUDY. 

Back  even  of  Genesis  there  is  still  a  begin- 
ning, in  the  adoption  of  proper  methods  of 
Bible  study,  which  should  be  considered  at  the 
outset.  The  Bible  itself  gives  emphatic  direc- 
tions for  its  proper  examination.  First  of  all 
we  are  to  remember  that  as  the  Book  of  God, 
inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  demands,  for  its 
true  perusal,  a  mind  illumined  by  that  same 
Spirit.  Goethe  says,  that  before  a  reader  com- 
plains of  obscurity  in  an  author,  he  should  ex- 
amine whether  he  himself  is  "  clear  within ;  in 
the  twilight  a  very  plain  writing  is  illegible." 
*'  The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  neither  can  he  know  them 
because  they  are  spiritually  discerned."  No 
amount  of  light  on  the  pages  will  compensate 
for  a  blind  eye.  "  If  the  light  that  is  in  thee  be 
darkness,  how  great  is  that  darkness ! "  The 
Bible  should  be  taken  up  with  the  prayer,  "  Open 
Thou  mine  eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous 
thirigs  out  of  Thy  law.'' 

This  must  be  emphasized  at  the  very  thres- 


iv  INTRODUCTION. 

hold.  No  man  can  have  spiritual  insight  into 
the  Word  of  God  without  the  influence  of  the 
illumining  Spirit.  The  most  able  commentators 
have  been  the  most  devout.  Bengel,  author  of 
"  The  Gnomon,"  bathed  his  studies  in  tears  and 
hallowed  them  with  prayers.  Unless  taught  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Bible  is  a  sealed  book  even 
to  the  learned. 

This  being  assumed,  three  direct  rules  are 
found  in  the  Word  of  God  for  its  successful 
study : 

"SEARCH,"  "MEDITATE,"  "COMPARE." 

I.  Search  (Jno.  v.  39):  There  is  a  great  deal 
of  listless,  careless  reading.  Coleridge  divided 
readers  into  four  classes.  The  first  class  he  com- 
pares to  "an  hour-glass ;  their  reading  being  as 
the  sand,  it  runs  in  and  runs  out,  and  leaves  not 
a  vestige  behind.  A  second  class  resembles  a 
sponge^  which  imbibes  everything  and  returns  it 
in  nearly  the  same  state.  A  third  class  is  lile 
2,  jelly -bag,  which  allows  all  that  is  pure  to  pr^  ; 
away,  and  retains  only  the  refuse  and  dregs. 
The  fourth  class,  like  the  slave  of  Golconda,  cnst 
aside  all  that  is  worthless,  preserving  only  the 
pure  gems."  Or  perhaps  we  might  compare  this 
fourth  class  to  the  gold-pan  used  for  retaining 
the  pure  metal  while  the  refuse  is  washed  out. 
The  only  profitable  reading  of  God's  Word  is  a 
searching  x^'A.^Wig.  The  word  translated  '^search^* 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

is  emphatic  and  intense :  it  literally  means  to 
"look  carefully,"  as  a  wild  animal  searches  the 
sands  to  find  the  footsteps  of  a  stray  cub.  The 
Bible  is  full  of  hidden  treasures,  to  be  sought  as 
the  merchantman  sought  goodly  pearls.  They 
are  not  revealed  to  indifferent  and  superficial 
readers. 

The  true  beauty  of  a  Scripture  passage  does 
not  lie  on  the  surface,  nor  reveal  itself  to  a  care- 
less eye.  A  fragment  of  spar,  which  at  first 
seemed  lustreless  and  unattractive,  as  you  turn 
it  in  your  hand,  and  let  the  light  strike  it  at  a 
certain  angle,  reveals  beautiful  radiance  and 
even  prismatic  colors.  A  fragment  of  Scripture 
which  is  comparatively  dull  and  dead  to  a  super- 
ficial reader,  becomes,  in  the  hand  of  a  devout 
student,  a  marvel  of  beauty.  He  turns  it  round 
and  round,  views  it  at  every  angle,  till  he  sees 
the  light  of  God  break  through  it,  and  it  shines 
with  the  sevenfold  beauty  of  the  divine  attri- 
butes. Michael  Angelo,  on  examining  the  work 
of  one  of  his  students,  took  his  pencil  and  wrote 
on  it  the  one  word — "  amplius  " — wider.  That 
word  needs  to  be  written  over  all  our  Scripture 
studies. 

2.  Meditate  (Psalm  i.  2)  :  The  process  of 
prayerful  reflection, — prolonged  and  concen- 
trated thinking, — is  the  secret  of  true  knowl- 
edge of  the  Word.  There  is  a  process  of  infus- 
ing, suffusing,  transfusing  the  whole  nature  with 


Vi  INTRODUCTION. 

the  divine  Word,  and  it  consists  in  devout  med- 
itation.  The  whole  nature  should  be  immersed 
.in  the  Scriptures  till  they  penetrate  and  per- 
meate our  whole  being;  till  the  mind  is  sat- 
urated with  holy  thoughts,  the  heart  with  holy 
affections,  the  memory  with  holy  associations. 
This  enables  us  to  overcome  evil  with  good. 

Dr.  Chalmers,  riding  on  a  stage-coach,  by  the 
side  of  the  driver,  said  :  "  John,  why  do  you  hit 
that  off  leader  such  a  crack  with  your  lash?" 
"  Away  yonder,"  said  he,  "  there's  a  white  stone  ; 
that  off  leader  is  afraid  of  that  stone ;  so,  by  the 
crack  of  my  whip  and  the  pain  in  his  legs,  I  want 
to  get  his  idea  ofT  from  it."  Dr.  Chalmers  went 
home,  elaborated  the  idea,  and  wrote  "  The  Ex- 
pulsive Power  of  a  New  Affection." 

Great  is  the  expansive  and  expulsive  power 
of  the  Word  of  God  when  it  indwells  in  the 
soul.  Preoccupation  is  the  true  law  of  posses- 
sion and  conquest.  The  mind  filled  with  God's 
own  truth  has  no  room  for  inferior,  and  espe- 
cially for  defiling,  thoughts.  Temptation  has  no 
hold  upon  a  heart  already  thrilled  with  the  love 
of  things  divine.  Meditation  on  the  Word  of 
God  begets  that  spiritual  mind  which  is  the  very 
opposite  of  the  carnal  mind,  and  the  secret  of 
life  and  peace. 

3.  Compare  (i  Cor.  ii.  13):  Dr.  A.  J.  Gordon 
likens  Scriptural  teachings  to  a  dissected  picture, 
the  fragments  of  which  are  scattered  through 


INTRODUCTION,  vii 

the  Word,  needing  to  be  brought  together,  laid 
side  by  side,  matched  and  jointed,  that  they 
may  present  one  complete  view  of  truth.  Let 
the  careful  student  make  trial  of  this  method, 
and  he  will  find  not  only  the  highest  pleasure, 
but  the  highest  profit.  Almost  any  heresy  may 
borrow  apparent  sanction  from  isolated  Scrip- 
ture texts,  and  so  "even  the  Devil  can  cite 
Scripture  to  his  purpose";  but  when  spiritual 
things  are  compared  with  spiritual,  they  mu- 
tually complete,  vindicate,  and  illustrate  each 
other. 

Take,  for  instance,  ^^ Life  Eternal''  as  set  forth 
in  the  Gospel  according  to  John.  Begin  with 
the  first  mention  of  Life,  in  the  fourth  verse  of 
the  first  chapter,  and  follow  the  process  and 
progress  of  development  of  the  grand  thought 
and  theme  till  you  reach  chapter  twentieth, 
verse  thirty-first,  where  all  the  teachings  of  that 
sublime  Gospel  are  summed  up  in  one  sentence  ; 
and  there  will  be  found,  at  every  new  stage  of 
progress,  some  new  and  beautiful  addition  to 
the  complete  truth.  You  are  reminded  of  the 
story  of  Michael  Angelo  and  the  "  sleeping 
cupid,"  whose  disjointed  members  had  been 
separated  and  buried,  and  were  again  brought 
together  in  one  beautiful  statue. 

These  are  the  general  principles  upon  which 
the  Word  of  God  itself  counsels  the  earnest 
reader  to  pursue  his  study. 


Viii  INTRODUCTION 

Beside  these  there  are  some  obvious  methods 
for  successful  mastery  of  the  contents  of  the 
Bible  which  ought  to  be  carefully  observed. 

Among  them  all  none  is  of  more  importance 
than  to  find  out  the  exact  purpose  and  object  of 
each  book.  To  know  who  wrote  it,  where  and 
when  it  was  written,  in  what  circumstances  and 
for  what  end,  is  to  throw  a  flood  of  light  upon 
every  chapter  and  verse.  Bishop  Percy  there- 
fore says,  that  "  To  understand  the  specific  use 
of  each  book  is  the  best  commentary,  and  often 
makes  needless  any  other."  It  is  like  a  guide- 
book or  map  of  a  country  in  the  aid  it  fur 
nishes  the  traveler. 

Having  found  the  meaning  of  any  book,  as  a 
whole,  we  are  prepared  to  examine  into  details ; 
to  search  into  each  verse,  and  ascertain  its  re- 
lation to  the  great  general  purpose  for  which 
the  book  was  written,  and  the  circumstances 
in  which  it  was  composed.  To  know  that 
Paul  wrote,  at  Ephesus,  the  first  Epistle  to 
the  Corinthians,  may  help  us  to  understand 
that  third  chapter  in  which  the  gold,  silver, 
and  precious  stones  of  Diana's  great  fane  are 
contrasted  v,''''i  the  wood,  hay,  and  stubble 
of  the  wretched  huts  and  hovels  of  the  abject 
poor.  The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrezvs  we  shall  ex- 
pect to  find  full  of  references  to  Hebrew  usages, 
customs,  rites  and  ceremonies  ;  and  some  things 
in  it  which  would  be  stumbling-stones  to  gentile 


IN  TR  OD  UC  TION.  [^ 

readers,  become  stepping-stones  to  the  Hebrew 
believer. 

We  must  not  forget  that  every  step  of  Biblical 
study  should  be  pursued  intelligently.  We 
ought  to  go  no  faster  and  no  farther  than  we 
understand.  ''  Understandest  thou  what  thou 
readest  ?  "  As  in  eating,  it  is  not  the  quantity 
or  even  quality  of  food  that  determines  nutri- 
tive value,  but  our  power  and  capacity  to  ap- 
propriate and  assimilate,  so  the  profit  of 
Bible  study  depends  not  on  how  much  we  read, 
but  on  how  much  we  understand,  receive,  incor- 
porate into  ourselves.  One  verse  thoroughly 
mastered,  so  that  it  lodges  a  new  thought  in  the 
mind,  a  new  joy  in  the  heart,  a  new  purpose  in 
the  life,  is  worth  a  hundred  chapters  read  has- 
tily, thoughtlessly,  without  leaving  an  impres- 
sion behind.  It  pays  to  do  thoroughly  what  we 
do  at  all,  especially  in  Biblical  study. 

This  book  must  be  judged  by  its  aim.  It  is 
the  result  of  the  author's  search  for  keys  to  un- 
lock the  Word  of  God.  Some  key-word,  with 
a  corresponding  key-text,  being  chosen  as  a  gen- 
eral index  to  the  contents  of  each  book,  the 
main  features  are  sketched  in  bold  outline,  and 
minor  details  and  divisions  added  in  smaller  type. 

Before  closing  this  introduction,  we  call  our 
reader's  attention  to  the  twelve  conspicuous  sym- 
bols chosen  in  the  Word  of  God,  to  represent 
its  uses  and  the  range  and  scope  of  its  applica^ 


X  INTRODUCTION, 

tion  to  all  our  needs.     We  class  them  under 
seven  divisions. 

1.  The  mirror^  to  show  us  ourselves  as  we  are 
and  may  be.     (James  i.  2?.) 

2.  The  laver^  to  wash  away  our  sin  and  defile- 
ment.    (Ephes.  v.  26.) 

3.  The  lamp  and  lights  to  guide  us  in  the  right 
way.     (Ps.  cxix.  105.) 

4.  The  milk^  breads  stro7tg  meat^  and  honey — 
affording  sustenance  and  satisfaction  to  the  be- 
liever, at  all  stages  of  spiritual  development. 
(Hebrews  v.  12-14;  Ps.  xix.  10,  etc.) 

5.  The  fine  gold,  to  enrich  us  with  heavenly 
treasure.     (Ps.  xix.  10.) 

6.  The  fire,  hammer,  sword,  to  be  used  in 
the  work  and  warfare  of  life.  (Jer.  xxiii.  29; 
Heb.  iv.  12;  Ephes.  vi.  17.) 

7.  The  seed,  to  beget  souls  in  God's  image 
and  to  plant  harvest  fields  for  God.  (J as.  i.  18 ; 
I  Pet.  i.  23  ;  Matt,  xiii.) 


CONTENTS. 


PAGB 

Genesis i 

Exodus 3 

Leviticus 6 

Numbers 9 

Deuteronomy 12 

Joshua 15 

Judges 17 

Ruth 19 

I.  II.  Samuel 21 

I.  II.  Kings 24 

I.  II.  Chronicles 27 

Ezra,  Nehemiah 31 

Esther 35 

THE  POETIC  BOOKS 37 

Job 41 

Psalms 43 

Proverbs 46 

Ecclesiastes 48 

The  Song  of  Solomon 50 

(xi) 


GENESIS. 

Key-word:  Beginning.    Key-verse:  I. :  i. 

This  is  the  Book  of  the  Beginnings. 
No  beginning  is  ascribed  to  God,  but  all 
else  had  a  beginning ;  and  here,  in  direct 
statement  or  in  illustration,  suggestion,  and 
type,  all  things,  material  or  moral,  are 
traced  to  their  origin.  Every  great  lead- 
ing fact  and  truth,  relation,  and  revelation 
are  here  found,  the  germs  of  all  that  is 
afterward  more  fully  developed. 

The  beginnings  are  those  of  creation,  the  hu- 
man race,  marriage,  the  family,  the  State,  the 
Church,  nations,  civilization,  history ;  of  law, 
penalty,  government ;  of  the  Sabbath,  sin,  sac- 
rifice, salvation ;  of  worship,  covenant,  the  call 
of  God,  the  elect  people;  of  promise  and 
prophecy  ;  of  language,  literature,  mechanic 
arts,  fine  arts,  science,  and  poetry. 

The  primary  truths  taught  here  are :  the 
Unity,  Trinity,  eternity  of  the  Godhead; 
God's  natural  attributes,  power,  wisdom,  etc. ; 
His  moral  attributes — hoHness,  goodness,  etc. ; 
the  unity  of  the  race,  relation  of  husband  and 
wife,  of  man  to  the  animal  creation,  etc. 

The  types  of  Christ :  Adam,  married  to  Eve, 


2  KEYS  TO   THE   WORD. 

as  Christ  to  the  Church.  Sacrifice,  putting 
away  sin  and  putting  on  righteousness,  symbol- 
ized in  the  clothing  of  our  first  parents  in  the 
skins  of  slain  beasts.  Abel,  the  first  martyr; 
Noah^  preacher  of  righteousness;  the  Ark; 
Melchizedek ;  Abraham  ;  Isaac,  only  son  of 
promise,  laid  on  the  altar  by  his  father  and  re- 
ceived back  as  from  the  dead ;  Joseph,  from 
slavery  and  prison,  raised  to  the  throne,  etc. 

The  Jews  call  this  book  by  its  first  Hebrew 
word  :  the  Greeks,  "  Genesis,"  —  origination. 
It  is  the  oldest  trustworthy  book,  and,  without 
it,  more  than  two  thousand  years  would  have 
no  written  history.  Moses  may  have  been 
guided  by  the  Spirit  to  use  material  selected 
from  earlier  documents  and  traditions. 

This  book  is  the  stately  portal  to  the  superb 
structure  of  the  Holy  Scripture.  The  opening 
sentence  is  a  grand  specimen  of  the  beauty  and 
truth,  here  compacted  into  the  briefest  compass. 
It  excludes  atheism,  pantheism,  polytheism, 
materialism ;  -denies  the  eternity  of  matter,  and 
teaches  the  eternity,  self-existence,  independ- 
ence, omnipotence,  and  wisdom  of  the  Creator. 

Divisions  :  I.  :  i. — xi.  From  Adam  to  Noah. 
Sin,  Fall,  Deluge. 

II.  :  xii. — 1.  Abraham  to  Joseph.  The  Chosen 
Seed ;  The  Abode  in  Egypt ;  etc. 


EXODUS. 

Key-word:  Pass-OVER.     Key-verse :  XII.  23. 

This  is  the  book  of  the  Exode  or  De- 
parture. By  a  series  of  Ten  Plagues,  God 
dehvers  His  elect  nation  from  Bondage  in 
Egypt.  Blood  now  becomes  the  Sign  and 
Pledge  of  Redemption.  The  word,  Pass- 
over, has  a  threefold  significance :  God 
passed  over  the  blood-sprinkled  houses  ; 
then  He  caused  to  pass-over,  or  be  set 
apart  to  Himself,  all  first-born  (xiii.  12, 
margin)  ;  and  He  made  Israel  to  pass-over 
the  Red  Sea,  xv.  16. 

The  Ten  Plagues  are  judgments  against  the 
gods  of  Egypt,  xii.  12.  The  first  and  second 
against  the  idol  river,  the  Nile.  The  third 
against  the  earth-god,  Seb,  and  the  priests  who 
could  not  officiate  with  lice  upon  them.  The 
fourth  and  eighth  against  Shu,  the  Atmosphere, 
son  of  Ra,  the  sun-god,  against  whom  the  ninth 
was  directed.  The  fifth,  against  the  Sacred  Bull, 
Apis.  The  sixth,  against  Sutech  or  Typhon, 
the  ashes  of  whose  victims  were  flung  to  the 
winds.  The  seventh,  against  the  Sacred  Beetle, 
Scarabaeus.     The  tenth,  against  all  the  gods  at 

(3) 


4  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

once,  and  the  nation  that  decreed  the  wholesale 
destruction  of  the  Hebrew  children. 

The  central  chapter  is  the  twelfth.  The  Pass- 
over is  a  Pictorial  Parable  of  Sin  and  Salvation.. 
Its  five  marked  features  are:  i,  Divine  Judg- 
ment ;  2,  A  life  for  a  life ;  3,  Blood  on  the  side 
and  upper  door-posts,  but  not  on  the  threshold, 
where  it  would  be  trodden  under  foot,  cf.  Heb. 
X.  29;  4,  God,  passing  over  His  people,  when 
He  saw  the  blood ;  5,  Consecration  of  all  first- 
born both  of  man  and  of  beasts,  and  of  first- 
fruits.  Henceforth  Redemption  by  blood  and 
Peculiar  Relation  to  the  Redeemer  become 
keys  to  the  whole  Word  of  God. 

Here  we  have  also  the  original  ^^ Pilgrims 
Progress  "  begun.  The  Pillar  of  God's  Presence 
leads  the  way,  the  Hiding  of  His  Power,  xiii.  21, 
22.  His  Tabernacle  is  pitched  among  His  Peo- 
ple. Here  He  first  makes  known  His  name, 
Jah^  "  I  am  that  I  am,"  or  ''  I  am  He  who  am  " 
forever.  Cf.  John  viii.  58 ;  Heb.  xiii.  8.  His 
Law  is  graven  upon  stone  to  indicate  its  perpet- 
ual authority  and  force. 

Moses  is  the  central  personage.  His  life  divides 
into  three  periods,  each  of  forty  years:  i,  From 
his  Birth  to  his  flight  into  Midian ;  2,  From  his 
flight  to  the  Exodus ;  3,  From  the  Exodus  to 
his  Death.  His  first  attempt  to  deliver  Israel 
failed,  because  it  was  in  the  power  of  the  flesh ; 
afterward   he  succeeded   in    the    power   of   the 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


5 


spirit.  He  is  a  type  of  Christy  in  the  perils  of 
his  infancy,  his  voluntary  surrender  of  royalty, 
his  training  in  solitude,  and  his  leadership  of  the 
people  out  of  captivity. 

Divisions:  I.:  i. — xii.  Israel  in  Egypt. 
II. :  xiii. — xviii.  From  Egypt  to  Sinai. 
III. :  xix. — xl.  At  Sinai ;  the  Law  given. 


LEVITICUS. 

Key-word:  Atonement.    Key-verse:  XVI.  34. 

This  is  the  Book  of  Worship,  Sacrifice, 
and  Priesthood.  Exodus  closes  with  God  s 
Tabernacle  in  the  midst  of  the  tents  of  Is- 
rael. Leviticus  opens  with  the  Law  of 
offerings.  In  order  for  the  Holy  .One  to 
dwell  among  sinners,  and  accept  their  ser- 
vice, there  must  be  atonement  by  sacrifice 
and  mediation  by  priesthood.  The  elect 
tribe,  Levi,  of  the  elect  nation,  represent 
the  Appointed  Days'-Man  between  God 
and  men. 

The  central  chapter  is  the  sixteenth,  and  there 
is  no  more  significant  chapter  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. On  the  Great  Day  of  Atonement,  the 
slain  goat  represents  guilt  expiated  by  blood,  and 
the  scape-goat,  "  azazel  "  or  '' removal,"  the  7-^- 
moval  of  offences  from  before  the  face  of  God. 
Here  is  grace  in  its  two  aspects,  passing  over 
transgression  and  remembering  it  no  more.  Cf. 
Micah  vii.  18,  19;  Heb.  viii.  12. 

The   central  personage   is   Aaron,   the    High 
Priest ;  and  the  great  themes  of  the  book,  ac- 
ceptable approach,  pardon  and   reconciliation, 
and  consecrated  service. 
(6) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.  j 

The  sacrifices  or  offerings  are  fivefold  (i.-vii., 
xvi.):  I,  The  Bur7it-offeri7ig,  wholly  consumed  ; 
2,  The  Meat  or  food-offering,  following  the  first, 
and  bloodless  because  not  expiatory ;  3,  Peace- 
offerings,  slain  but  not  wholly  burned,  part  going 
to  the  Lord,  part  to  the  priest,  and  part  back  to 
the  offerer  ;  4,  5/;^offerings,  strictly  for  atone- 
ment, and  burned  without  the  camp  ;  5,  Tres- 
/^j-^-offerings  or  Debt-offerings ;  where  trespass 
was  against  the  Lord,  sacrifice  preceded  repa- 
ration ;  where  it  was  against  man,  reparation  pre- 
ceded sacrifice.  Cf.  Matt.  v.  23,  24.  The  first 
three  were  '^sweet-savour'''  offerings,  regarded 
not  as  consumed,  but  ascending  in  flame,  like 
sweet  incense  to  God.  In  the  last  two,  which 
were  obligatory,  the  offerer  laid  hands  on  the 
head  of  the  victim,  which  was  thus  identified 
with  his  sin.  All  these  offerings  together  typ- 
ify Christ  in  His  perfect  offering  of  Himself  for 
sin  and  unto  God  for  service. 

The  Feasts  are  eight.  Six  are  of  days  and 
months;  two  of  years:  i,  The  Sabbath;  2,  The 
Passover  or  unleavened  bread  ;  3,  Pentecost  or 
the  Feast  of  Weeks,  fifty  days  or  seven  full 
weeks  after  the  Passover;  4,  Trumpets,  on  the 
first  day  of  the  seventh  Lunar  month  ;  5,  Atone- 
ment, on  the  tenth  of  the  seventh  month  ;  6,  Tab- 
ernacles or  Booths,  or  Ingathering,  five  days 
later;  7,  Sabbatic  year ;  8,  Jubilee  or  fiftieth 
year,  at  the  end  of  seven  full  heptades  of  years. 


8  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD 

Here  is  a  Sabbatic  system  :  seventh  day,  week, 
month,  year,  and  heptade  of  yearG. 

Divisions  :  I. :  i. — xvi.  The  Way  to  God  by 
Sacrifice. 

II. :  xvii. — xxvii.  The  Walk  with  God  by 
Sanctification  and  Separation. 


NUMBERS. 

Key-word:   SOJOURN.     Key-verse:   XXXIII.  i. 

This  is  the  Book  of  Pilgrimage  and  Ser- 
vice, the  wilderness  Wandering  and  Train- 
ing. Two  numberings  of  Israel  are  here 
recorded,  representing  organization,  sys- 
tem, the  Lord's  Hosts  equipped  and  mar- 
shalled for  the  march  to  Canaan.  The 
time  covered  is  about  forty  years,  the  be- 
ginning and  end  of  the  period  being  most 
prominent.  Heb.  iv.  i;  Psalm  xcv.  lo,  ii. 
Here  we  have  Warfare  as  the  necessary 
condition  of  Pilgrimage  and  Possession. 
God's  worshippers  are  warriors,     xxiii.  21. 

The  central  chapters  are  the  thirteenth  and 
fourteenth.  The  tribes,  at  God's  command, 
started  from  Sinai  to  possess  the  Promised 
Land,  which  was  distant  but  eleven  days'  march. 
From  Kadesh  Barnea,  on  the  borders  of  Canaan, 
twelve  spies  are  sent  ahead  to  explore  the  land. 
After  forty  days  they  return  and  report.  The 
unbelieving  Israel,  afraid  to  trust  God's  word, 
murmur  and  rebel,  and  God  condemns  them  to 
wander  and  sojourn  in  the  wilderness  for  forty 
years,  and  all  who  had   been   numbered,  save 

(9) 


lO  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

Caleb  and  Joshua,  the  two  faithful  spies,  to  die 
there. 

The  backsliding  nation  lie  for  the  time  under 
the  ban.  In  this  chasm  of  thirty-eight  years,  Is- 
rael almost  ceases  to  have,  as  God's  people,  a 
history,  and  all  but  their  existence  is  engulfed. 
But  one  Passover  is  recorded  as  kept  during  all 
that  time,  and  even  circumcision  was  neglected. 
After  this  period,  they  are  again  at  Kadesh 
Barnea,  no  nearer  Canaan  than  before.  So  un- 
belief and  disobedience  always  bring  backsliding 
instead  of  progress,  and  believers  have  no  true 
history  as  such,  until  they  are  renounced.  All 
backsliders,  before  they  make  any  advance,  must 
come  back  to  the  point  where  rebellion  began, 
and  start  anew. 

The  numbering  may  represent  God's  appropri- 
ation of  His  own  people  ;  He  calleth  them  all  by 
their  names.  Ps.  cxlvii.  4;  John  x.  3,  4.  It  also 
represents  the  organization  of  the  Lord's  Host, 
both  for  march  and  for  war.  There  were  four 
divisions,  each  of  three  tribes.  Whether  moving 
or  resting  they  formed  a  hollow  square,  within 
which  was  God's  Tabernacle.  If  Tradition  may 
be  trusted,  the  central  Tribal  standards  on  each 
quarter  were  the  lion  (Judah),  the  ox  (Ephraim), 
the  ;;^^;2  (Reuben),  and  the  eagle  (Dan).  Cf.  Psalm 
Ixxx.  1,2;  Ezek.  i.  10. 

The  camp  regulations  have  reference  to  both 
sanitation  and  sanctity.     The  marching  signals 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD.  \\ 

were  both  divine  and  human  :  the  Cloud  moving 
and  the  Trumpets  sounding.  Miriam^  Aaron, 
and  Moses  all  died  before  the  passage  of  the 
Jordan  :  Prophecy,  Priesthood,  and  Law,  bring 
us  to  the  borders ;  but  only  Jesus,  our  Joshua, 
leads  us  into  our  inheritance. 

Divisions  :  I.  :  i. — x.  m  Preparations  for 
March  from  Sinai. 

II.:  X.  II. — xxi.  Journey  from  Sinai  to  Moab. 

III.:  xxii. — xxxiv.  In  Moab  preparing  to  enter 
Canaan. 


DEUTERONOMY. 

Key-word:  Obedience.     Key-verse :  X.  12,  13. 

This  is  the  Book  of  the  Second  Law. 
As  the  first  tables  were  broken  and  re- 
placed, so  the  Law  broken  is  made  em- 
phatic by  repetition.  The  word,  ''  remem- 
ber," occurs  some  eighteen  times,  and  the 
Deliverance  from  Egypt  is  constantly  urged 
as  a  motive  to  obedience,  Cf.  v.  15.  Israel, 
about  to  possess  the  Land,  are  reminded 
that  this  is  the  condition  of  entrance  and 
continuance.  Before  Moses  gives  this  new 
generation  into  Joshua's  charge  he  re- 
hearses the  Moral  Law. 

The  central  chapter  is  the  twenty-ninth^  the 
covenant  with  God,  where  Moses  in  a  few  words 
condenses  the  argument  of  the  whole  book. 

Four  appeals  to  Israel  make  up  the  bulk  of 
this  book.  Seven  principles  of  obedience  are  set 
forth;  I,  The  Fatherhood  of  God  and  His  Pro- 
prietorship in  His  People ;  2,  The  duty  of  sep- 
aration unto  Him  and  His  Service;  3,  Worship 
to  be  localized  and  centralized  ;  4,  All  Idola- 
trous relics  to  be  destroyed ;  5,  All  Idolatrous 
acts  to  be  treated  as  Treason  against  God,  pun- 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


n 


ished  as  capital  crimes ;  6,  All  ethical  relations 
to  be  regulated  by  God's  Law  ;  7,  The  Brother- 
hood of  man  imphed  in  the  Fatherhood  of  God, 
This  being  the  Book  of  Obedience,  the  words 
^'commandments!'  '^ statutes !'  etc.,  are  found 
here  oftener  than  in  any  other  book  save  the 
Psalms.  The  Law  was  to  be  inscribed  on  Mt. 
Ehal,  the  Mount  of  the  Curse,  for  the  end  of 
the  Law  is  condemnation.  Such  obedience  as 
man  can  render  secures  only  temporal  good ; 
hence  among  the  blessings  pronounced  we  do 
not  find  Eternal  Life.     Cf.  xxviii.  1-13. 

The  Prediction  about  Xh^  great  coming  Prophet ^ 
xviii.  15-19,  refers  ultimately  to  Christ.  Acts  iii. 
22,  23.  He  only  acted  as  mediator,  organizer, 
and  administrator  of  the  House  of  God ;  He 
only  fulfils  the  prediction  and  the  expectation 
which  it  inspires,  and  claims  the  implicit  obedi- 
ence here  enjoined.  It  is  noticeable  that  His 
three  answers  to  Satan  in  the  Temptation  are 
all  arrows  drawn  from  this  Book  as  a  quiver, 
viii.  3;  vi.  16;  vi.  13. 

Three  Feasts  are  enjoined,  chap.xvl.  1-17 :  The 
Passover^  the  Pentecost  or  Feast  of  Weeks,  and 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  The  Passover  is  first, 
for  the  believer  rests  his  Relationship  with  God 
upon  Redemption  by  blood.  Pentecost  was  the 
gathering  of  first-fruits,  and  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles the  Ingathering  of  the  full  Harvest.  To^ 
gether  they  typify  a  completed  Redemption  :  first, 


14  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

by  the  Passion  of  the  Cross ;  secondly,  by  the 
coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  thirdly,  by  the  Final 
Triumph  of  the  Coming  King ;  or  suffering,  grace, 
and  glory. 

This  book  is  full  of  rich  moral  and  spiritual  les- 
sons. The  Law  is  recapitulated,  enforced  in  the 
light  of  experience,  both  of  mercy  and  judg- 
ment, not  from  the  theoretical  but  from  the  prac- 
tical side.     XXX.  15,  16. 

Divisions  :  I. :  i. — iv.  Summary  of  Desert 
Wanderings. 

II. :  V.  Rehearsal  of  the  Decalogue. 

III. :  vi. — xxvi.  Laws,  etc.,  as  to  Conduct  in 
Canaan. 

IV. :  xxvii. — xxviii.  Blessings  and  Curses. 

V. :  xxix. — XXX.  Covenant  with  God. 

VI. :  xxxi. — xxxii.  Moses'  Exhortation  and 
"  Song." 

VII.:  xxxiii.  His  Final  "  Blessinjr." 

o 

VIII. :  Supplemental  Narrative  of  Moses 
Death. 


JOSHUA. 

Key-word :  POSSESSION.     Key-verse :  I.  3. 

This  Book,  which  begins  a  new  division 
of  the  Old  Testament,  is  the  book  of  En- 
trance  and  Conquest,  Possession  and  Dts- 
■possession.  The  Land  of  Promise  was 
larger  than  the  Land  of  Possession,  because 
God  gave  more  than  faith  appropriated. 
Moses  and  the  Law  brought  the  Israelites 
to  the  borders  of  the  inheritance  into 
which  Joshua,  as  the  type  of  Jesus,  leads. 
Even  in  the  Promised  Land  there  are  con- 
flicts. Possession  is  by  Dispossession.  Cf. 
Eph.  vi.  10-18. 

Joshua,  being  the  chief  personage,  this  book 
covers  his  career.  Born  in  Egypt,  of  the  tribe 
of  Ephraim,  he  was  captain  at  Rephidim,  was 
with  Moses  in  the  Mount,  like  Caleb  urged  the 
people  to  go  up  and  possess  the  Land,  and  died 
at  no  years  of  age,  leaving  a  character  without 
blemish.  Moses  appointed,  the  Lord  anointed, 
him  leader.  Like  Moses  in  zeal  for  God  and 
love  for  Israel,  he  had  more  capacity  and  sagac- 
ity as  a  captain.  The  Rod  was  Moses'  symbol ; 
the  spear,  Joshua's. 

(15) 


1 6  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

The  crossing  of  Jordan  is  by  supernatural  in- 
terposition. When  the  priests,  bearing  the  ark, 
touch  with  their  feet  the  overflowing  river,  the 
current  is  arrested  ;  they  stand  in  the  river  bed 
till  all  pass  over ;  but  as  soon  as  they  reach  the 
farther  bank  the  stream  resumes  its  flow.  The 
two  heaps  of  stones  are  memorials ;  one  of  Desert 
Pilgrimage,  the  other  of  Miraculous  Passage. 

The  Reproach  is  rolled  away  at  Gilgal,  and 
Renewal  of  Covenant  prepares  the  people  again 
to  keep  the  Passover^  and  under  the  "  Captain 
of  the  Lord's  Host,"  to  take  the  typical  strong- 
hold, Jericho,  without  striking  a  blow.  Defeat 
comes  at  Ai,  because  ofAchan's  theft  of  "  de- 
voted "  things ;  the  entrance  to  the  garden  of 
the  Land  is  with  impressive  ceremonies  (viii. 
30~35)-  The  Tabernacle  is  set  up  at  Shiloh, 
Cities  of  Refuge  are  appointed,  and  the  Cov- 
enant of  Separation  ratified.  Joshua's  Death 
closes  the  Book. 

Compare  the  Book  of  Acts,  where  Christ,  by 
His  Invisible  Captain,  the  Spirit,  conducts  His 
church  to  Possession  by  Conquest ;  and  heathen 
strongholds  are  taken,  not  by  carnal  weapons 
but  by  preaching  and  prayer. 

Divisions:  L:  i. — xii.  Conquest, 
n. :  xiii. — xxiv.  Partition. 


JUDGES. 

Key-word:  Anarchy.     Key-verse:  XXI.  25. 

This  Book  is  named  from  the  Period  of 
Judges,  or  civil  and  military  chieftains  be- 
tween Joshua  and  Saul.  Between  1500 
and  1000  B.C.  lay  four  or  five  centuries  of 
disorganization  and  misgovernment.  Idol- 
atry and  Conformity  to  the  Age  work  ruin. 
Unity  is  lost ;  the  tribes  take  the  place  of 
one  People.  Faith  and' faithfulness  give 
way  to  unbelief  and  fickleness.  The  Tab- 
ernacle is  hidden  in  darkness  and  there  is 
but  one  mention  of  the  High  Priest,   xx.  28. 

There  are  Fifteen  Judges:  Othniel,  Ehud, 
Shamgar,  DEBORAH  and  Barak,  Abimelech, 
Gideon,  Tola,  Jair,  Jephthah,  Ibzan,  Elon,  Ab- 
don,  Samson,  Eli,  Samuel;  the  last,  a  proph- 
et-judge, links  the  Judges  and  the  Kings,  as 
Deborah,  a  woman,  is  the  prophet-judge  linking 
Moses  and  Samuel.  Samson,  the  Hercules  of 
Scripture,  is  too  weak  to  rule  himself. 

There  are  Six  Conquests :  by  the  Mesopota- 
mians,  Moabites,  North  Canaanites,  Midianites, 
Ammonites,  Philistines;  and  Six  corresponding 
2  (17) 


1 8  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

Deliverances^  u  ider  Othniel,  Ehud,  Deborah, 
Gideon,  Jephthah,  and  Samson. 

Joshua  led  into  the  Land  of  Promise,  and 
gave  Possession  by  Conquest.  But  unbelief 
and  ungodliness  forfeited  further  blessing  and 
brought  Decay  to  both  Church  and  State.  A 
picture  of  the  whole  period  is  in  chapters  xviii., 
xix.     The  author  of  this  book  is  Samuel.  (?) 

History  is  full  of  Parallels.  Micah  and  his 
Levite  suggest  the  feudal  castle  and  chieftain 
of  the  middle  ages.  The  series  of  Captivities 
have  their  parallel  in  the  Relapses  of  the  Church 
into  Pagan,  Papal,  and  Pelagian  errors.  Ritual- 
ism, Rationalism,  Secularism.  From  the  Apos- 
tolic Age  till  now,  extraordinary  Deliverers  have 
been  rafised  up  by  God,  such  as  Athanasius,  Au- 
gustine, Chrysostom,  Huss,  Wycliffe,  Luther, 
Knox,  Bunyan,  Wesley,  Whitefield,  Edwards, 
etc. 

Divisions  :  L  :  i. — iii.  6.  Introduction. 
II. :  iii.  7 — xvi.  Main  History. 
III.:  xvii. — xxi.  Appendix:  fragmentary  nar- 
ratives without  chronological  order. 


RUTH. 

Key-word :  Kinsman  (Redeemer).    Key-verse: 
IV.  14. 

This  is  a  Pastoral  Idyl.  In  Boaz,  Re- 
deemer (p%y)  of  Ruth  and  her  forfeited  es- 
tate, two  conditions  must  unite :  he  must 
be  khtsniait  to  have  the  right ;  and  of  a 
higher  branch  of  the  family,  not  involved 
in  the  disaster,  to  have  the  power,  to  re- 
deem. The  Race  is  in  ruin.  Man  is  next 
of  kin,  but  cannot  redeem  his  fellow-man,  for 
he  is  ruined  himself.  The  God-man,  our 
near  kinsman,  yet  of  a  higher  family,  be- 
comes both  Redeemer  and  Bridegroom  of 
the  Church. 

This  Sacred  Love  Story  has  a  typical  aspect. 
Famine  in  Bethlehem  (House  of  Bread),  drives 
Elimelech  (God,  my  King)  to  Moab,  Land  of 
Aliens.  There,  amid  altars  of  Chemosh  (vanquish- 
ing foe?)  he  dies,  and  after  him  his  sons  Mahlon 
(song),  and  Chilion  (Perfection),  leaving  Moabite 
widows,  Orpah  (skull?)  and  Ruth  (Satisfied). 
Ten  years  later,  Naomi  (sweet?)  returns  with 
Ruth.  Guided  by  Providence,  she  gleans  in  the 
fields  of  Boaz  (in  Him  strength).     He  looks  on 

(19) 


20  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

her  with  favor,  buys  back  her  estate  and  mar- 
ries her.  The  Moabite,  shut  out  by  Law  (Deut. 
xxiii.  3),  is  admitted  by  grace,  not  only  to  the 
congregation  of  the  Lord,  but  to  the  ancestral 
line  of  Messiah,  who,  like  Boaz,  is  Lord  of  Har- 
vest, Dispenser  of  Bread,  Giver  of  Rest. 

Even  Lack  of  Bread  does  not  warrant  depart- 
ure from  God  and  identification  with  the  for- 
bidden land  of  Aliens.  Calamity  follows  diso- 
bedience ;  the  backslider  must  return  from 
alienation  and  separation,  and  be  reunited  to 
the  Lord  and  His  people,  before  prosperity  re- 
turns. Orpah  represents  the  sinner  rejecting ; 
Ruth,  the  sinner  repenting,  believing,  coming  to 
the  Redeemer,  poor  and  friendless,  lying  at  His 
feet,  praying  for  the  shelter  of  His  name,  the 
protection  and  provision  of  His  love,  the  partic- 
ipation of  His  life  and  bliss,  and  finding  in  Him 
more  than  hope  dared  anticipate.  Ruth  is  the 
forerunner  of  the  Gentiles  incorporated  into  the 
Church. 


I.  II.  SAMUEL. 

Key-word:  KINGDOM.  Key-verse:  I.  Sam.  X.  25, 

These  two  books  form  one  in  the  He- 
brew, and  in  old  English  versions  made, 
with  the  two  following.  Four  Books  of 
Kings.  The  history  covers  about  1 20  ^ears 
and  moves  mainly  about  Samuel,  Saul,  and 
David.  The  prominent,  dominant  idea  is 
the  Kingdom :  its  matter,  manner,  renewal, 
and  rending ;  its  translation  from  Saul  the 
Apostate,  its  deliverance  from  Absalom  the 
Usurper,  and  its  establishment  in  the  hands 
of  David.  The  name  ''Messiah"  is  first 
found  here,     i  Sam.  ii.  10  (Hebrew). 

Samuel  was  born  when  anarchy  reigned.  Eli, 
high -priest  and  judge,  was  too  old  and  weak  to 
curb  even  his  own  vile  sons.  This  child,  "  ask- 
ed of  God,"  and  while  serving  at  the  Tabernacle 
in  Shiloh,  heard  from  God  the  doom  of  Eli's 
house ;  and  in  him  prophetic  open  visions  were 
revived.  A  judge  as  well  as  a  seer,  he  empha- 
sized obedience  more  than  offerings.  In  old  age 
he  could  challenge  ail  Israel  to  find  in  him  one 
breach  of  piety  or  probity ;  but  his  sons  were 
unfit  to  succeed  him.     Hence  the  clamor  for  a 

(21) 


22  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

king ;  the  prayer  was  not  of  faith  ;  God  gave 
their  request,  but  sent  leanness  to  their  souls. 

Saul,  the  first  king,  was  of  fine  person,  and 
his  mingled  merit  and  modesty  won  even  oppo- 
nents ;  but  two  years  later  apostasy  began.  His 
folly  at  Gilgal,  and  his  falsehood  and  rebellion 
in  the  war  with  Amalek,  led  to  his  RcjectioJi. 
His  decline  was  rapid,  possessed  by  an  evil  de- 
mon, and  enslaved  by  bad  passions.  He  hunted 
David  like  a  bird,  and  sought  to  slay  his  own 
son.  Forsaken  by  God,  he  sought  at  Endor 
one  of  the  witches  he  had  driven  from  the  land  ; 
an  apparition  of  Samuel  warned  him  of  his 
speedy  death,  and  he  fell  the  next  day  by  his 
own  hand. 

David,  his  successor,  was  thrice  anointed :  first 
at  Bethlehem,  privately;  then  at  Hebron,  over 
Judah;  then  over  all  Israel.  Before  taking  the 
kingdom,  he  slew  Goliath,  the  Philistine  giant, 
and  became  the  bosom  friend  of  Jonathan. 

//.  Samuel  opens  with  David's  LajJtent  over 
Saul  and  Jonathan.  Abner,  Saul's  captain,  pro- 
claimed Ishbosheth,  son  of  Saul,  king,  and  for 
seven  and  a  half  years  David's  reign  was  limited 
to  Judah;  then  Abner  went  over  to  David's 
side  and  was  slain  by  Joab,  and  Ishbosheth  was 
assassinated.  David  was  by  common  consent 
made  king  over  all  Israel,  with  his  capital  at 
Jerusalem. 

The  narrative  abounds  in  suggestions,     Poih 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD  23 

ic  retribution  finds  examples  in  Saul's  histoty ; 
also  in  David's,  whose  great  sin  brought  correct- 
ive punishment  in  its  own  line,  in  the  death  of 
the  child  of  his  crime,  and  the  incest  of  Amnon 
and  Absalom.  Implicit  obedience  is  enforced. 
David's  attempt  to  bring  up  the  Ark  oi?  a  cart 
issued  in  the  death  of  Uzzah;  three  months 
later  he  had  it  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  the  Le- 
vites,  as  God  had  directed.  Godly  Repentance  is 
illustrated.  The  guilt  of  adultery,  treachery, 
and  murder  lay  heavy  on  David.  Nathan's 
parable  of  the  ewe-lamb  touched  the  spring  of 
godly  sorrow  which  overflows  in  Psalm  li. 
Grace  finds  illustration  in  David's  treatment  of 
Absalom  and  Mephibosheth,  and  in  the  Arrest- 
ed Judgment  at  Araunah's  threshing-floor,  which 
became  the  site  of  the  Temple  with  its  Altar  of 
Atonement. 

Divisions:  I.:  T.Sam,  i. — vii.  Samuel,  the 
Prophet- Judge. 

II.:  I.  Sam.  viii. — xxxi.   Saul's  Career. 

III.:  II.  Sam.  i. — v.  5.  David,  King  over  Ju- 
dah. 

v.:  II.  Sam.  v.  6 — xx.  David,  King  over  Is- 
rael. 

VI. :  II   Sam.  xxi. — xxiv.  Appendix. 


I.  II.  KINGS. 

Key-word:  ROYALTY.    Key-verse:   I.  Kings  II. 
12;  XI.  13. 

These  two  books,  which  again  form  one 
in  the  original,  follow  the  monarchy  from 
its  highest  glory, through  decline  and  division 
to  final  downfall.  Under  Solomon,  Royalty 
rises  to  the  summit  of  its  splendor,  with  the 
Temple  as  its  crown.  Extravagant  outlay 
and  display,  heathen  wives  and  idol  fanes, 
bring  the  kingdom  to  wreck,  and  each  of 
the  divisions  ends  in  captivity  and  disper- 
sion.    Author,  Jeremiah.  (J) 

AdonijaJts  attempted  usurpation  opens  the 
first  book,  followed  by  the  coronation  of  Solo- 
mon, and  the  deaths  of  the  usurper,  of  Joab 
and  Shimei,  the  deposition  of  Abiathar  the 
Priest,  and  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  in 
Solomon's  hand. 

Solomon's  divine  Gift  of  Wisdom  seems  to 
have  been  a  rare  blending  of  mental  capacity 
and  moral  sagacity.  To  large  endowments  he 
added  large  acquirements  in  natural  and  moral 
science.  Sages,  like  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  jour- 
neyed from  afar  to  hear  his  discourse,  and  found 
(24) 


KEYS    TO    THE    IVORD. 


25 


the  facts  to  exceed  even  his  fame.  His  Prov- 
erbs are  marvels  of  common  sense  and  practical 
wisdom. 

Excessive  outlay  marked  his  reign.  To  the 
Temple  which  rose  on  Moriah  like  a  shrine  of 
alabaster  and  gold,  he  added  a  Palace  with  an 
ivory  throne,  and  other  costly  structures ;  and 
the  cities,  pools,  and  public  works  which  he 
built  outshone  any  others  of  his  day.  He  made 
alliances  with  foreign  courts,  and  kept  a  vast 
harem.  All  this  worldly  splendor  implied  heavy 
costs  and  imposed  heavy  taxes ;  popular  mur- 
murs forecast  the  wreck  of  the  kingdom  under 
Rehoboam.  Judah^  partially  supported  by 
Simeon  and  Benjamin,  remained  loyal  to  David's 
House;  the  other  tribes,  confederate  under  Jer- 
oboam, made  Shechem  their  capital,  and  calves 
were  set  up  at  Dan  and  Bethel  to  keep  the  peo- 
ple from  going  to  worship  at  Jerusalem. 

Elijah  and  Elisha,  the  two  remarkable  proph- 
ets which  appear  in  the  Northern  Kingdom,  are 
strange  counterparts.  Elijah  suddenly  appears, 
a  full-grown  seer,  facing  Ahab  with  flaming  re- 
proof. A  supernatural  atmosphere  is  about 
him.  He  is  fed  and  kept  by  miracle  ;  his  prayers 
command  the  rains  and  fires  of  heaven,  to  which 
at  last  he  rides  in  a  chariot  of  fire ;  the  only 
man,  beside  Enoch,  ever  translated.  He  is 
like  a  lion,  strong,  stern  ;  a  child  of  the  desert, 
living  in  the  caves  of  Horeb,  the  clefts  of  Cher- 


26  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

ith,  or  the  cliffs  of  Carmel.  He  enters  the  city 
with  fiery  rebuke,  and  departs  again  into  ascetic 
solitude.  He  is  dressed  in  a  rough  robe,  and 
comes  as  a  destroyer  of  idols. 

Elisha  is  his  complement ;  like  a  lamb,  gentle, 
humble ;  he  dwells  in  cities,  is  urbane  and  cour- 
teous, mingles  with  the  sons  of  the  prophets  and 
the  elders.  He  wears  an  ordinary  garment  and 
bears  a  staff;  he  is  tolerant  and  benignant,  and 
comes  as  a  healer  and  helper.  Even  the  names 
Elijah  (Jehovah  my  God),  and  Elisha  (Jehovah 
my  Saviour),  suggest  appositeness.  One  may 
represent  Law ;  the  other,  Grace. 

This  history  shows  the  ruin  to  which  a  False 
Liberalism  leads.  Solomon's  polygamy  and  pa- 
gan wives  led  him  first  to  forbear  with  heathen 
rites,  and  then  to  build  fanes  for  false  gods  over 
against  Jehovah's  Temple.  This,  and  the  calf- 
ivorship  which  broke  the  second  commandment, 
paved  the  way  for  the  Baal-worship  under  Ahab 
and  Jezebel  which  broke  the  Jirst. 

Divisions  :  I. :  I.  Kings  i. — xi.  From  Solo- 
mon's Coronation  to  Death. 

n. ;  I.  Kings  xii. — H.  Kings  xvii.  From  Re- 
hoboam  to  the  Captivity  of  Israel  under  the 
Assyrians. 

HI.:  n.  Kings  xviii. — xxv.  From  Hezekiah 
to  the  Captivity  of  Judah  under  the  Chaldeans. 


I.  II.  CHRONICLES. 

Key-word:  THEOCRACY.  Key-verse:  II.Chron. 

XV.  2. 

These  two  books,  one  in  the  original, 
close  the  Hebrew  Canon.  Their  purpose 
is  more  than  mere  historical  repetition  or 
completion.  Their  ruling  idea  is  theocratic. 
Human  kingdoms  must  represent  God- 
Rule.  Only  while  He  is  recognized  and 
reverenced ;  only  as  Temple  worship  is 
neither  neglected  nor  corrupted,  can  there 
be  true  prosperity. 

**  Chronicles  "  means  ''  Words  of  Days,"  Jour- 
nals :  the  Septuagint  title  is,  "  Things  Omitted  " 
or  "  Supplementary "  {napak^iTtofAEv a).  But 
neither  name  expresses  or  exhausts  the  purpose 
and  purport  of  these  books.  The  people,  now 
returned  from  captivity,  have  rebuilt  the  Tem- 
ple, but  not  the  fabric  of  their  nationality.  Ezra 
was  probably  the  author,  and  he  seeks  upon 
Judah  as  a  basis  to  reconstruct  a  consecrated 
nation.  This  priestly  scribe  traces  the  Redemp- 
tion line  from  Adam  to  David,  and  thence  to 
Judah's  last  king.  The  Division  of  Families 
and   possessions,  and   the   Levitical   courses  as 

12  7> 


28  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

before  the  Captivity,  are  recorded  with  a  view 
to  restoration. 

While  much  contained  in  the  Books  of  Kings 
is  repeated  or  restated,  much  is  omitted  because 
foreign  to  the  author's  purpose.  But  vi^hatever 
bears  on  the  Temple,  its  preservation  and  res- 
toration, the  purity  of  its  worship,  the  regular- 
ity and  orderliness  of  its  services ;  whatever 
makes  idolatrous  rites  or  relics  hateful,  or  lifts 
God  to  His  true  throne  in  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple, is  here  emphasized.  The  attitude  of  the 
kmgs  toward  the  King  of  kings  is  shown  to  be 
the  key  of  national  History,  with  its  rewards  or 
penalties.  The  fall  of  the  Temple  and  the  long 
exile  are  shown  to  have  followed  upon  a  succes- 
sion of  three  wicked  and  idolatrous  kings,  while 
every  true  Reformer  of  national  character  and 
Religious  worship  is  held  up  as  one  who  has 
stayed  the  plague. 

This  purpose  being  seen,  it  is  easy  to  account 
both  for  the  likeness  and  unlikeness  of  the  Books 
of  Kings  and  of  Chronicles.  The  former  con- 
cern both  ki?igdoins,  and  are  political  and  kingly , 
the  latter  concern  Judah  only,  and  are  ecclesi- 
astical and  priestly.  One,  as  a  record  of  history, 
annalizes ;  the  other,  as  a  philosophy  of  history, 
analyzes.  In  *'  Kings  "  we  find  wars,  idolatries, 
offences  ;  in  Chronicles,  deliverances,  repentance, 
reformation.  In  one,  idolatry  is  treason  against 
the  Supreme  King;  in  the  other,  apostasy  from 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


29 


the  Covenant  God.     Cf.  II.  Kings  xvii.  7-23  ; 
II.  Chron.  xxxvi.  14-21. 

The  Temple  is  naturally  in  the  foreground. 
David's  preparations  for  the  building,  in  the 
first  book ;  Solomon's  erection  and  dedication 
of  it,  in  the  second.  The  splendid  structure, 
sanctified  to  God's  glory,  was  sanctified  by  God's 
glory.  Those  of  Solomon's  successors  who  jeal- 
ously and  zealously  guarded  the  Holy  House, 
have  a  special  memorial  here  :  Asa,  who  deposed 
the  Queen  Dowager,  his  own  mother,  for  in- 
directly profaning  it  by  her  idol  grove ;  Joash, 
Hezekiah,  and  Josiah,  who  repaired  it  and  led 
in  the  renewal  of  covenant  and  destruction  of 
idols. 

The  Service  of  Song  in  the  House  of  the  Lord, 
is  fully  set  forth,  as  conducted  by  two  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  trained  singers  and  players, 
with  a  chorus  of  four  thousand,  led  by  Asaph, 
Heman,  and  Jeduthun.  It  was  only  a  monot- 
onous chant  in  unison,  with  no  intricacies  of 
time  or  harmony,  varied  by  responsive  choirs, 
with  great  volume  of  voice  and  instrumental  ac- 
companiment. Its  aim  was  not  art,  but  worship, 
in  sharp  contrast  with  the  modern  perversions 
of  "  sacred  song." 

Four  deliverances  are  here  recorded  as  wrought 
for  Judah  :  under  Abijah,  against  Jeroboam  ; 
under  Asa,  against  the  Ethiopians ;  under  Je- 
hoshaphat,   against   the    Moabites :    and   under 


30 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


Hezekiah,  against  the  Assyrians.  And  in  every 
instance  success  is  attributed  to  God's  fighting 
for  Judah.  II.  Chron.  xiii.  1 8  ;  xiv.  1 1  ;  xx.  27  ; 
xxxii.  21,  22. 

Divisions:  I.:  I.  Chron.  i. — ix.  Genealogies, 
etc. 

II. :  I.  Chron.  x. — xxix.  Kingdom  under  Da- 
vid. 

III.:  II.  Chron.  i. — ix.  Kingdom  under  Solo- 
mon. 

IV. :  II.  Chron.  x. — xxxvi.  Kingdom  from 
Rehoboam  to  Zedekiah. 


EZRA,  NEHEMIAH. 

Key-word:    RESTORATION.      Key-verse:    Ezra 
I.  5  ;  Neh.  II.  5. 

These  two  are  companion  books,  regard- 
ed by  the  Hebrews  as  one.  Both  treat  of 
the  Return  from  Babylon  and  the  Restora- 
tion and  Reorganization  :  the  former  of  ec- 
clesiastical history  and  the  rebuilding  of  the 
Temple  under  Ezra ;  the  latter  of  civil  his- 
tory and  the  rebuilding  of  the  city  under 
Nehemiah.  Together,  they  present  a  com- 
plete picture  of  post-captivity  reconstruc- 
tion and  reorganization  in  Church  and  State. 

Ezra,  probable  author  of  the  book  bearing  his 
name,  was  an  Aaronic  priest,  scribe,  and  the 
compiler  of  the  Old  Testament  canon.  This 
book,  like  Chronicles,  contains  genealogical  lists; 
it  covers  about  eighty  years,  and  in  its  record 
four  Gentile  kings  appear :  Cyrus,  Darius,  Ahas- 
uerus,  Artaxerxes. 

Fifty  thousand  captives  returned  under  lead 
of  Zerubbabel,  called  by  the  Persians,  Shesh- 
bazzar,  and  Jeshua  or  Joshua,  High  Priest.  This 
colony,  to  whom  Cyrus  gave  in  charge  the  sa- 
cred vessels  stolen  from  the  Lord's  House,  laid 

(31) 


32 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


the  foundations  of  the  second  Temple.  Samar- 
itans and  other  half-pagan  colonists  whose  help 
was  refused,  prejudiced  the  Persian  Power,  and 
stopped  the  work.  After  long  delay,  the  peo- 
ple, stirred  up  by  Haggai  and  Zechariah,  ap- 
pealed to  the  original  decree  of  Cyrus,  which 
was  found  and  confirmed  by  Darius ;  and  after 
twenty  years  the  work  was  completed. 

The  prophetic  seventy  years  of  Captivity  may 
be  reckoned  either  from  the  Destruction  of  the 
First  Temple  to  the  Dedication  of  the  Second, 
588-518  B.C.;  or  from  the  First  Invasion  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  to  the  Decree  of  Cyrus,  606- 
536  B.C.  The  Jews  were  cured  of  idolatry  by 
experience  in  exile,  but  were  entangled  in  pagan 
alliances.  Ezra,  leading  in  confession  and  ref- 
ormation, annulled  mixed  marriages  and  re- 
vived the  knowledge  and  authority  of  the  Law. 
About  sixty  years  after  the  first  colony,  a  sec- 
ond left  Babylon  under  Ezra,  and  about  thirteen 
years  later,  a  third  under  Nehemiah. 

Nehemiah,  born  in  exile,  became  cup-bearer 
to  the  king.  By  royal  grant,  and  with  letters 
of  authority,  he  went  to  rebuild  Jerusalem.  He 
found  the  city  in  partial  ruin  and  the  people  in 
partial  indifference.  Beginning  every  work  with 
prayer  and  fasting,  he  surveyed  the  walls  by 
night,  and  then  urged  the  leaders  to  rebuild. 
Though  opposed  by  Arabian,  Ammonite,  and 
Moabite,  he  pushed   on  the  work,  enlisting  all 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


33 


classes,  from  the  High  Priest  down  to  the 
women. 

Nehemiah,  the  Model  Organizer,  proved  the 
worth  of  method  and  system.  Yi\s  five  princi- 
ples were:  I,  Division  of  Labor;  2,  Adaptation 
of  WorK  and  Worker  ;  3,  Honesty  and  Economy 
in  Administration;  4,  Co-operation  in  labor;  5, 
Concentration  at  any  assaulted  point. 

His  character  is  without  blot.  He  was  a  man 
of  faith,  bold,  resolute,  energetic,  with  peculiar 
prayerfulness  and  reserve  power.  He  stood  like 
an  anvil,  till  the  hammers  of  opposition  wore 
themselves  out  vainly  beating  against  him. 

His  Work  of  Restoration  began  at  the  sheep- 
gate,  through  which  victims  were  led  to  the 
altar.  Rebuilding  was  followed  by  Reforming : 
as  Governor  he  corrected  the  abuses  of  the  rich 
and  the  oppression  of  the  poor,  revived  the  knowl- 
edge of  God's  Law,  Sabbath  observance,  free- 
will offerings  and  covenant  obligations.  His  re- 
turn to  Persia  was  followed  by  decline  of  morals  ; 
but  he  came  back  to  the  Holy  City,  purged  the 
Temple  courts,  and  again  purified  the  family 
and  the  State. 

Divisions:  Ezra.  L:  i. — vi.  Return  from 
Captivity,  etc. 

IL  :  vii. — X.  Events  in  reign  of  Artaxerxes,  etc. 

Between  these  two  sections  lies  a  gap  of  fifty- 
seven  years. 
3 


34 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


Nehemiah.  I. :  i. — vii.  Nehemiah's  narrative. 

11.  :  viii. — ix.  Narrative  continued  by  an- 
other party. 

III.:  xi. — xii.  26.    Six  important  lists. 

IV.:  xii.  27 — xiii.  Dedication  of  Wall  and 
Reforms. 


ESTHER. 

Key-word:  Providence.     Key-verse:  IV.  14. 

This  book  is  the  Ro7nance  of  Providence. 
Esther,  a  Jewish  captive,  became  bride  of 
the  Persian  king,  Ahasuerus ;  and  came  to 
the  kingdom  for  a  critical  time.  Haman's 
wicked  plot  to  destroy  her  people,  baffled 
by  her  bold  intercession,  reacted  to  his  own 
ruin.  The  Feast  of  Purim  (the  Lot),  in- 
stituted by  the  Jews  in  memory  of  this  De- 
liverance, is  still  kept.  As  Ruth  represents 
the  Gentiles  coming  to  the  church,  Esther 
illustrates  the  church  going  to  the  Gentiles. 

The  Doctrine  of  God's  Providence  finds  here  a 
historic  pictorial  parable,  i.  There  is  behind 
human  affairs  an  Unseen  Hand.  2.  Both  evil 
and  good  have  their  ultimate  awards.  3.  The 
prosperity  of  the  wicked  is  unsafe  and  unsatisfy- 
ing, ending  in  adversity.  4.  The  adversity  of 
the  good  is  a  trial  of  faith,  issuing  in  prosperity. 
5.  Retribution  is  administered  with  poetic  ex- 
actness. 6.  The  most  minute  events  are  woven 
into  God's  plan.  7.  Providence  is  not  Fate,  but 
consists  with  Prayer  and  Resolve,  Freedom  and 
Responsibility. 

(35) 


36  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

Tht  Name  of  God  is  not  found  here.  His  is 
a  Secret  Control  o{  the  affairs  of  His  People:  a 
Hidden  Hand  shifts  the  scenes.  Only  the  Eye 
of  Faith  sees  the  Divine  Factor  in  human  his- 
tory, but  to  the  attentive  observer  all  history  is 
a  Burning  Bush  aflame  with  the  mysterious 
Presence.  This  book  is  the  rose  window  in  the 
cathedral  structure  of  the  Old  Testament.  If 
the  light  it  transmits  be  dim,  it  reveals  exquis- 
ite tracery  and  symbolic  design  in  the  frame- 
work and  colored  panes. 

Grace  is  here  illustrated.  There  is  substitu- 
tion, voluntary  and  vicarious  sacrifice,  a  sceptre 
extended  to  a  suppliant,  audience  with  the  king 
and  answered  prayer;  promises  without  limit 
(viii.  8),  and  final  victory  over  all  foes. 


THE  POETIC  BOOKS. 

The  Old  Testament  was  popularly  di- 
vided into  the  "  Law,"  "  Prophets,"  and 
"  Psalms,"  Luke  xxiv.  44.  The  "  Psalms" 
include  five  poetical  books,  from  Job  to 
Solomon's  Song  inclusive. 

The  Genius  of  Hebrew  Poetry  is  pecu- 
liar. It  does  not  depend  on  rhyme  or 
rhythm,  metre  or  melody,  but  on  Parallel- 
ism, or  the  arrangement  of  thought  in  cor- 
responding or  parallel  sentences  and  stanzas. 
The  poetry  lies  rather  in  the  relation  of  the 
thoughts  than  the  words ;  there  is  a  rhyme 
and  rhythm  of  ideas. 

A  wonderful  provision  is  thus  made  for  frans^ 
lation.  This  parallelism  of  thought  can  be  re- 
produced in  any  language  without  any  neces- 
sary loss  of  its  beauty  or  power  in  the  transfer 
from  one  tongue  to  another. 

Parallelism  is  of  five  kinds :  Apposite,  Oppo- 
site, Synonymous,  Synthetic,  Inverted. 

I.  Apposite :  where  two  or  more  parallel  sen- 
tences are  arranged  so  as  to  present  the  same  or 
closely  related  thoughts,  by  way  of  correspond- 
ence or  comparison.     Thus  Proverbs  iii.  5  : 

(37) 


38  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

"  Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine  heart; 
And  lean  not  unto  thine  own  understanding." 

Here  the  one  thought,  trusting  in  Jehovah^  is 
presented  in  both  members,  first  positively,  then 
negatively.  The  truly  wise  man  trusts  in  God, 
and  does  not  trust  in  himself. 

2.  Opposite  :  where  exactly  opposite  thoughts 
are  contrasted,  with  sharp  antithesis.  Thus 
Proverbs  x.  7  : 

"  The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed  ; 
But  the  name  of  the  wicked  shall  rot." 

Here  the  antithesis  extends. to  all  the  promi- 
nent words  of  both  members. 

3.  Synonymous :  where  the  same  thought  is 
repeated  in  equivalent  terms  and  phrases.  Thus 
Proverbs  i.  4: 

"  To  give  subtilty  to  the  simple  ; 
To  the  young  man,  knowledge  and  discretion." 

4.  Synthetic:  where  thoughts  are  built  up 
into  structural  form,  like  block  upon  block,  cu- 
mulatively and  often  climacterically.  Before  the 
whole  idea  is  complete,  several  successive  pairs 
of  parallels  may  enter  into  the  construction. 
Thus  Proverbs  xxx.  17: 

"  The  eye  that  mocketh  at  his  father, 
And  despiseth  to  obey  his  mother : 
The  ravens  of  the  valley  shall  pick  it  out. 
And  the  young  eagles  (vultures)  shall  eat  it." 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.  oq 

Here  are  two  synonymous  parallels  built  up  in- 
to one  synthetic.  Agur's  Prayer,  Prov.  xxx.  7- 
9,  and  the  passage  from  verses  24-28,  are  exam- 
ples of  still  more  complex  synthetic  parallelism. 
Some  are  very  complicated  ;  the  correspondence 
between  the  various  propositions  reaches  even 
to  minor  details ;  and  the  whole  paragraph  with 
its  constructive  parts  crystallizes  about  one  dom- 
inant idea.  Cf.  Psalm  cxlviii.  7-13;  xix.  7-11. 
5.  Inverted:  where  stanzas  are  so  framed 
that,  to  perceive  the  true  relations  of  the  sen- 
tences we  must  begin  at  the  extremes  and  move 
toward  the  centre.  Bishop  Jebb  calls  this  "  In- 
troverted."    Thus  Psalm  cxxxv.  15-18: 

"  The  idols  of  the  heathen  are  silver  and  gold, 
The  work  of  men's  hand  ; 

They  have  mouths,  but  they  speak  not ; 
They  have  eyes,  but  they  see  not ; 
They  have  ears,  but  they  hear  not  ; 
Neither  is  there  any  breath  in  their  mouths. 
They  who  make  them  are  like  unto  them ; 
So  are  all  they  who  put  their  trust  in  them." 

The  relation  of  the  various  lines  and  members 
will  appear  from  the  above  arrangement,  where 
correspondent  clauses  are  placed  directly  op- 
posite each  other. 

To  master  this  symmetric  structure  of  poetic 
parts  of  the  Bible  is  a  help  to  intelligent  exposu 
Hon  and  exegesis.  The  mutual  relation  of  the 
words  and  thoughts  will  not  appear  until  we  dis- 


40 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


cover  what  phrases  or  sentences  are  parallel,  and 
detect  the  thought-rhythm.  Thus  Psalm  x.  4, 
translating  literally : 

"  The  wicked  in  the  height  of  his  scorn  : 
*  He  will  not  require  it ! ' 
'  There  is  no  God  ! ' 
These  are  all  his  thoughts." 

Here  the  wicked  is  represented  at  the  very  apex 
and  climax  of  daring  impiety  and  blasphemy. 
His  secret  thought  is :  ''  God  will  not  requite 
my  sin,"  and  from  this  denial  of  judgment  the 
step  is  easy  to  the  last  and  worst  thought : 
"  There  is  no  God  !  " 

Once  more.     Matthew  vii.  6: 

"  Give  not  that  which  is  holy  unto  the  dogs ; 
Neither  cast  ye  your  pearls  before  swine. 
Lest  they  trample  them  under  their  feet. 
And  turn  again  and  rend  you." 

At  first  glance,  all  the  latter  half  of  this  stanza 
would  be  referred  to  the  swine.  But  every  part 
of  such  a  stanza  demands  its  parallel,  and  the 
law  of  thought-rhyme  leads  us  to  construe  the 
last  line  as  the  correspondent  and  complement 
of  the  first. 

"  Give  not  that  which  is  holy  unto  the  dogs, 
Lest  they  turn  again  and  rend  you ; 
Neither  cast  ye  your  pearls  before  swine, 
Lest  they  trample  them  under  their  feet." 


JOB. 

Key-ivord :  Trial.     Key-verse:  I.  9. 

This  Book  solves  a  problem.  Satan 
asks:  "  Doth  Job  serve  God  for  naught.^" 
This  oriental  tale  is  the  answer :  Upright- 
ness may  survive  the  loss  of  all  temporal 
good.  Disaster  to  property  and  family,  and 
disease  in  his  own  person,  together,  could 
not  bring  Job  to  curse  God  whom  he  feared, 
nor  to  do  the  evil  which  he  hated.  Subor- 
dinately,  another  problem  is  here  discussed : 
the  uses  of  adversity. 

JoUs  trial  is  a  test  of  his  trust  in  God,  and  of 
the  truth  of  his  life.  The  sorest  sufferings  will 
not  lead  a  true  saint  to  forsake  God  or  Godli- 
ness. This  man,  though  morally  and  religiously 
upright,  is  suddenly  struck  down  :  the  blow  falls 
on  his  possessions,  his  household,  himself;  he  is 
smitten  with  that  supposed  "  scourge  of  God  " 
and  brand  of  His  curse,  Elephantiasis  (?).  In 
return  he  is  tempted  to  curse  God:  i,  By  the 
perplexity  which  such  calamities  cause  to  the 
consciously  upright ;  2,  By  the  continuation,  ac- 
cumulation, and  aggravation  of  his  trials  ;  3,  By 
the  remonstrance  of  his  instinct  of  natural  jus- 
tice ;  4,  By  the  charges  of  guilt  and  hypocrisy  ; 

(41) 


42 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


5,  By  the  hateful  taunts  of  his  own  wife.  But 
he  holds  fast  his  integrity  because  he  loves  good- 
ness for  its  own  sake,  irrespective  of  reward. 

Job's  three  friends  seek  to  solve  that  other 
problem  of  the  Divine  Government :  the  Phi- 
losophy of  suffering.  They  discuss  it  in  the  light 
of  History,  Philosophy,  and  Natural  Law  ;  but 
even  Elihu,  with  his  deeper  insight,  only  pre- 
sents half-truths.  Then  God  speaks,  correcting 
errors  and  completing  truths  :  the  mystery  of 
Trial  is  explained.  Suffering  finds  its  philosophy, 
not  in  organic  penalty  and  retributive  judgment 
only,  but  also  in  disciplinary  chastisement  and 
edticative  development.  ^ 

This  Book  suggests  a  key  to  the  whole  Bible^ 
and  to  mans  history  from  creation  to  completed 
Redemption,  i,  Man  unfallen  and  untried ;  2, 
Sinning  and  suffering;  3,  Seeking  human  help 
in  legality,  morality,  philosophy ;  4,  Needing 
and  receiving  a  Revelation  from  God;  5,  Hum- 
bled, penitent,  believing;  6,  Restored  to  a  better 
estate  than  at  first. 

The  scene  of  the  book  is  laid  in  the  Patriarchal 
era,  between  chapters  xi.  and  xii.  of  Genesis  (?). 
The  author,  probably  Elihu.     Cf.  xxxii.  15-17. 

Divisions:  I.:  i. — ii.  Historical  Prologue. 
n. :    iii. — xlii.  6.    Allegorical   narrative  with 
semi-dramatic  dialogue  and  tripartite  division. 
HI.:  xlii.  7-17.   Historical  Epilogue. 


PSALMS. 

Key-word:  Worship.     Key-verse :  XXIX.  2. 

The  Psalter  is  a  Book  of  Devotion  for 
the  Ages.  Here  every  heart  -  chord  is 
touched  and  tuned  to  holy  melody.  God 
is  here  in  His  natural  and  moral  attributes. 
Christ  is  here  in  His  divinity  and  humanity, 
humiliation  and  exaltation.  The  Gospel  is 
here  :  sublime  unfoldings  of  pardoning  and 
purifying  grace.  Christian  Hfe  is  here,  faith, 
hope,  love  ;  and  even  church  history  in  out- 
line. 

This  is  a  collection  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
lyrics  for  public  and  private  worship.  The 
Greek  title,  "  Psalms,"  means  songs  set  to  mu- 
sic ;  the  Hebrew  title  is  "  Praises,"  which  make 
up  the  bulk  of  the  book,  and  breathe  in  almost 
every  psalm ;  with  praise  the  book  begins  and 
ends;  and  into  praise, penitence  and  prayer  and 
perplexity  at  last  merge  and  melt.  Praise 
ranges  over  Creation,  Providence,  and  Grace ; 
abounding  more  as  we  advance  the  farther,  till 
the  climax  is  reached  in  the  Hallelujah  Psalms. 

The  authors  and  eras  are  not  the  same.  One^ 
third    are   anonymous:   seventy- three   are   by 

(43) 


44 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


David  ;  twelve  ascribed  to  Asaph  ;  eleven  to  the 
sons  of  Korah  ;  two  to  Solomon  ;  one  to  Moses, 
etc.  The  eras  reach  from  the  Desert  Wander- 
ings to  the  Return  from  Captivity,  the  older 
Psalms  generally  preceding.  The  Inscriptions 
should  be  studied;  they  show  which  are  Songs 
of  Love,  Pilgrimage,  or  Memorial,  and  whether 
meant  for  praise,  prayer,  or  instruction. 

Here  are  Pearls^  precious  and  plentiful.  The 
first  three  Psalms  are  keys  to  the  entire  collection  ; 
their  themes  are  the  Scriptures,  the  Messiah,  and 
the  believers'  experience :  xiv.  and  liii.  are  vir- 
tually the  same ;  xix.  and  cxix.  are  monuments 
to  God's  Law ;  xxii.  xxiii.  xxiv.  correspond  re- 
spectively to  Messiah's  Passion  and  Crucifixion, 
Death  and  Burial,  Resurrection  and  Ascension  ; 
xlv.,  the  Canticle-Psalm,  is  a  key  to  Solomon's 
Song ;  li.  is  the  Psalm  of  Penitence ;  xxxii. 
of  Pardon  ;  xlv.  of  Salvation  ;  xlvi.  of  Faith : 
xxxvii.  of  Assurance  ;  1.  of  Sacrifice  ;  Ixxii.  of 
Missions ;  Ixxiii.  is  the  Sceptic's  Psalm  ;  Ixxxv. 
the  Beggar's  Psalm ;  xc.  xci.  the  Psalms  of 
Death  and  of  Life  ;  cvi,  cvii.  of  Ingratitude,  and 
of  Gratitude  ;  cxiii.-cxviii.  Hallelujah  Psalms  ; 
cxx.-cxxxiii.  Psalms  of  Ascents,  sung  when 
going  up  to  Temple  Feasts. 

Believers  have  always  regarded  the  Psalter  as 
a  precious  heritage.  Athanasius  called  it  **  an 
Epitome  of  all  Scripture";  Luther,  **a  little  Bi- 
ble ";  Basil,  "  the  Common  Treasure  of  all  good 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


45 


precepts";  and  Bishop  Alexander  has  traced 
therein  a  wonderful  "  Witness  to  Christ  and 
Christianity." 

Divisions  :  Five  books,  marked  by  their  pe- 
culiar endings : 

I. :  i. — xli.  Ending  with  Doxology  and  double 
Amen. 

II.  :xlii. — Ixxii.  Same  ending,  with  the  sen- 
tence :  "  The  Prayers  of  David  ....  are  end- 
ed." 

III. :  Ixxiii. — Ixxxix.  Same  ending  as  Book  I. 

IV.;  xc. — cvi.  Same,  with  Hallelujah. 

v.:  cvii. — cl.  Ending  with  many  Hallelujahs. 


PROVERBS. 

Key-word :  Wisdom.     Key-verse:  IX.  lo. 

Here  is  exhibited  wisdom  in  practical 
life,  shaping  character  and  conduct,  regu- 
lating alike  man's  relations  to  man  and  to 
God.  True  wisdom  develops  manhood, 
leads  to  morality,  and  in  its  highest  reach, 
to  piety;  it  demands  obedience  to  both 
Tables  of  the  Law.  It  makes  the  under- 
standing clear,  the  heart  clean,  the  con- 
science pure,  and  the  will  firm.  Wisdom 
as  here  personified,  corresponds  to  the 
Word,  or  Logos,  in  John. 

The  word^  rendered  ^^Proverb^'  means  Parable 
or  authoritative  saying,  and  hints  that  moral 
truths  are  taught  by  comparison  or  contrast. 
The  English  word,  Proverb,  means  a  brief  say- 
ing in  the  stead  of  many  words  {pro-verba),  and 
im^YiQs  pithiness  in  parallelism.  Proverbs  have 
ahvays  been  the  mottoes  that  mould  life  and 
history.  The  power  of  a  Proverb  lies  partly  in 
lis  form  ;  it  is  short,  sharp,  incisive,  impressive. 
It  assumes  truth,  attracts  attention,  and  im- 
prints  itself  on    the    memory.      The    Hebrew 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


A7 


Proverbs,    "  like    forceps,"    hold    truth    firmly 
between  the  opposing  points  of  antithesis. 

This  l^>ook  is  a  compilation.  Many  of  these 
Proverbs  are  of  earlier  date,  and  some  are  ac- 
knowledged to  be  the  "  Words  of  Agur,"  "■  Lem- 
uel," etc. ;  but  Solomon's  sayings  make  up  the 
bulk  of  the  book  (I.  Kings  iv.  32).  His  gift  of 
wisdom  finds  expression  in  wise  and  witty  apo- 
thegms, that  show  his  intellectual  capacity  and 
moral  sagacity,  his  habits  of  close  observation 
and  scientific  thought,  his  common  sense  and 
uncommon  knowledge  of  human  nature.  The 
subjects  treated  are  such  as  filial  piety,  evil  com- 
pany, sensuality  and  drunkenness,  lying  and  lazi- 
ness, strife  and  greed.  Chapter  xxxi.  contains 
a  fine  acrostic  on  the  "  virtuous  woman."  What 
the  Psalms  are  to  devotional  life,  the  Proverbs 
are  to  practical  life. 

Divisions  :  I. :  i. — ix.  Admonitions  especi- 
ally to  the  Young. 

II.:  X. — xxiv.     Miscellaneous,  for  all  classes. 

III.:  XXV.  —  xxix.  Later  Collections  by 
Scribes  under  Hezekiah,  etc. 

IV.:  XXX.  xxxi.  Supplement.  Words  of  Agur 
and  Lemuel. 


ECCLESIASTES. 

Key-word:  Vanity.     Key-verse:  II.  ii. 

These  "Words  of  the  Preacher,"  in  a 
sort  of  monologue,  record  results  of  experi- 
ence and  observation  as  to  the  Life  of  Man. 
Looked  at  from  the  loftiest  level  "  under 
the  sufiy'  all  seems  a  dismal  failure,  "  vanity 
and  vexation."  Only  when  this  world  and 
the  world  to  come  are  joined,  do  we  get  the 
whole  of  life  ;  only  when  God  and  man  are 
joined  by  faith  and  obedience  do  we  get  the 
whole  of  man.     See  xii.  13,  14. 

Ecclesiastes  is  aii  enigma  to  many  readers  who 
see  in  Solomon  an  epicure,  dyspeptic,  hypochon- 
driac, or  sceptic.  To  a  closer  student  the  plan 
of  the  book  becomes  plain.  As  seen  from  this 
world  only,  Life  is  not  worth  living,  and  the 
preface  anticipates  and  outlines  the  argument : 

1.  Death  ends  all  in  defeat  and  disappointment. 

2.  All  moves  in  an  endless  circle  of  monotonous 
repetition,  nothing  new,  no  permanent  progress. 
I.  All  labor  fails  to  satisfy  or  gratify.  4.  All  is 
lost  at  last,  even  the  remembrance  of  good. 

After  this  prefatoiy  outline  he  e?iters  into  de- 
tail.    He  follows  a  scientific  method,  gathering 
(48) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.  49 

facts,  classifying  them,  and  drawing  inferences 
and  inductions.  His  experiments  are :  pursuit 
of  wisdom,  pleasure,  frivolity,  worldly  enter- 
prise, treasure,  and  the  fine  arts ;  but  he  only 
reaches  the  climax  of  disgust,  ii.  26.  His  ob- 
servations are :  man  is  limited  by  a  law  of  Des- 
tiny ;  and  vanity  and  vexation  are  the  two  words 
that  express  his  final  verdict. 

The  Solution  of  this  Problein  of  Life  begins  at 
chapter  viii.  16.  He  finds:  I,  A  Divine  Provi- 
dence ruling  all ;  2,  Pious  remembrance  of  God 
introducing  into  life  a  saving  factor,  that  turns 
vanity  into  verity,  and  vexation  into  satisfaction  ; 
3,  This  world  is  a  hemisphere,  whose  comple- 
ment is  another;  man  is  a  half-hinge  without 
God.  Under  the  sun  there  is  no  profit,  but  we 
must  look  beyond  the  sun.  *'  Fear  God  and 
keep  His  Commandments ;  for  this  is  the 
Whole  of  Man."    xii.  13,  14. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.  i-ii.  Preface. 

H. :  i.  12 — ii.  26.  Results  of  Experiment. 

HI.:  iii. — viii.  15.  Results  of  Observation. 

IV.:  Induction,  viii.  16 — xii.  7. 

V. :  Grand  Conclusion,  xii.  8-14. 


THE  SONG  OF  SOLOMON. 

Key-word  :  Beloved.     Key-verse  :  VI.  3. 

In  this  Epithalamium,  or  Marriage- Song, 
by  a  dialogue  between  Bridegroom  and 
Bride  the  mystery  of  Christ  and  His  Church 
appears  to  be  typified.  Cf.  Eph.  v.  25-32. 
The  Forty-fifth  Psalm,  "  A  Song  of  Loves," 
briefly  treats  the  same  theme  in  the  same 
way,  and  is  a  key  to  Canticles.  The  mar- 
riage-bond is  the  favorite  figure  whereby 
both  prophets  and  apostles  represent  Jeho- 
vah's relation  to  His  People.  Cf.  Isa.  Ixii. 
5  ;  Jer.  iii. ;  Ezek.  xvi. 

The  parties  in  this  nuptial  dialogue,  or  antiph- 
onal  chant,  are  Shelomoh,  Prince  of  Peace,  and 
Shiilauiith,  Seeker  of  Peace ;  names  that  corre- 
spond as  do  Julius  and  Julia,  or  Francis  and 
Frances.  Shulamith  is  not  orAy  feminine,  but  col- 
lective, for  the  Church  is  a  collective  body ;  hence 
the  frequent  use  of  the  plural  *'  we^'  as  in 
i.  4.  Though  black  with  exposure  to  a  tropical 
sun,  she  is  comely  in  his  eyes  who  calls  her  his 
*'  Love."  She  was  made  for  him,  and  her  heart 
is  as  restless  as  a  wandering  dove,  till  it  rests  in 
Him. 

(50) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


51 


Transitions  in  the  dialogue  are  traced  by 
change  of  pronouns,  and  by  the  sense.  The 
typical  interpretation  is  the  only  natural  and 
satisfactory  one.  Wedded  Love  is  the  type  of 
the  peculiarly  affectionate,  intimate,  confiden- 
tial, and  exclusive  union  between  Christ  and 
believers.  The  Bride's  constant  thought  and 
praise  of  the  Bridegroom  suggest  the  devotion 
of  the  disciple  to  his  Lord,  while  the  Bride- 
groom's tender  love  to  her  suggests  the  Lord's 
unspeakable  grace,  who  loved  the  Church  and 
gave  Himself  for  her,  who  sanctifies  and  cleanses 
her,  nourishes  and  cherishes  her,  and,  finally, 
presents  her  to  Himself.  A  close  study  may 
find  in  this  poem  the  successive  stages  of  the  be- 
liever's growth  in  knowledge,  love,  and  joy,  from 
the  first  taste  of  delight  in  Jesus,  in  the  recon- 
ciling kiss,  to  the*  crowning  ecstasy  found  in  the 
consciousness  that  He  delights  in  the  disciple. 

The  order  aitd  succession  of  these  two  books  is 
suggestive.  In  Ecclesiastes,  man  finds  his  soul 
too  great  for  this  world  to  feed  and  fill :  all  is 
vanity;  there  is  no  profit  under  the  sun.  In 
Canticles,  man,  looking  above  the  sun,  finds  in 
God  what  not  only  fills  his  soul,  but  cannot  be 
contained.  The  sea  fills  the  cup,  but  the  cup 
does  not  hold  the  sea.  And  so  from  vanity  we 
come  to  verity. 

It  will  be  found  helpful  to  disregard  the  old 
divisions  of  chapters,  and  divide  this  dialogue 


52 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


into    six    sections,    beginning    respectively    at 
chaps,  i.  2,  ii.  7,  iii.  6,  v.  2,  vi.  10,  and  viii.  5. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.  i.  Inscription. 

II. :  i.  2 — V.  I.  The  Bride  in  the  King's  Cham- 
ber ;  His  Visit,  Her  Dream,  and  the  Royal  Es- 
pousals. 

III.:  V.  2 — viii.  14.  The  King's  Wife ;  Seek- 
ing and  Finding;  The  Return  Home,  etc. 


THE  PROPHETS. 

Here  begins  the  third  and  last  division 
of  the  Old  Testament.  A  prophet  is  not 
necessarily  one  who  predicts,  but  one  who 
speaks  for  God,  an  inspired  teacher.  Pre- 
diction was  one  form  in  which  the  divine 
seal  and  sanction  were  set  upon  the  prophet. 
The  prophetic  and  historic  books  are  closely 
related.  The  Hebrew  nation  is  always  the 
centre  of  both^  and  other  nations  are  viewed 
only  as  related  to  this  central  subject  and 
object. 

There  are  seventeen  prophetic  books :  five  be- 
long to  the  major,  and  twelve  to  the  ?mnor 
prophets:  but  these  terms  refer  to  length,  not 
to  comparative  importance.  They  are  not  in 
chronological  order :  four  or  five  of  the  minor 
prophets  antedate  Isaiah.  The  period  covered 
by  these  books  spans  over  four  centuries,  from 
about  870  to  440  B.C.,  and  is  marked  by  three 
divisions :  Pre-Exile,  Exile,  and  Post-Exile.  It 
is  of  great  importance  to  study  the  prophecies 
with  relation  to  the  period  which  they  cover,  as 
the  history  will  often  interpret  the  prophecy. 

The  Hebrew  is  the  central  figure  in  prophecy; 

(53) 


54  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

first  in  the  national  or  organic  aspect ;  secondly, 
in  the  ecclesiastical^  or  spiritual,  with  reference 
to  the  believing  remnant ;  and  thirdly,  in  the 
personal,  or  Messianic.  These  are  so  inter- 
mingled as  often  to  be  indistinguishable.  Pre- 
dictions relate  either  to  Judah,  or  Israel,  or  the 
nations  by  whom  they  were  oppressed.  What- 
ever judgments  are  foretold,  a  promise  of  res- 
toration relieves  the  darkness ;  the  believing 
Remnant  survives  to  become  a  blessingr  to  all 

o 

people. 

Tivo  expressions  abound  in  prophecy :  "  The 
Last  Days,"  and  ''  The  Day  of  the  Lord."  The 
first  covers  all  that  series  of  events  associated 
with  the  period  bounded  by  our  Lord's  First 
Advent  and  by  the  Final  Judgment.  The  Day 
of  the  Lord  is  the  dark  aspect  of  Judgment  seen 
in  connection  with  those  Last  Days,  and  marks 
the  crisis  and  catastrophe. 

Some  principles  of  interpretation  should  be 
observed.  Prophecy  often  presents  at  first  an 
outline  or  profile  of  coming  events,  which  suc- 
cessive prophecies  fill  out  and  complete  ;  so  that 
only  by  combination  and  comparison  the  whole 
picture  is  seen.  Again,  prophetic  perspective 
often  foreshortens  the  future.  Events  are  seen 
in  outline,  and  in  series  or  succession,  without 
regard  to  intervals  between,  or  comparative  pro- 
portions or  dimensions.  One  outline  may  cor- 
respond  to  different   events ;    a   prediction,  ap- 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


55 


parently  fulfilled,  may  still  await  a  grander  ac- 
complishment. Later  prophecies  will  often  be 
found  to  expand  previous  predictions,  and  ana- 
lyze and  separate  what  was  before  vague,  con- 
fused, and  general.  The  horizon  enlarges  as  it 
is  approached. 

The  Key  to  all  prophecy  is  The  Kingdom  of 
God y  its  Rise,  Progress,  Conflicts,  and  Final 
Triumph ;  from  First  to  Last,  however  various 
its  aspects,  in  essence  and  principle  one  and  un- 
changeable. 


ISAIAH. 

Key-word:  Salvation.     Key-verse :  LIII.  5. 

The  Testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of 
Prophecy.  This  is  the  Song  of  Christ, 
tracing  the  great  facts  and  features  of  His 
life  and  work,  from  His  cradle  to  His  crown. 
The  Heart  of  the  Old  Testament  is  the 
Fifty-third  Chapter,  where  God's  Suffering 
Servant  is  represented  as  bearing  our  sins. 
Every  great  truth  of  the  Gospel  is  antici- 
pated in  this  prophecy.    Date  :  759-710  B.a 

Isaiah  is  called  the  Evangelical  Prophet.  The 
historical  portion  contains  prophetic  hints  of 
Messiah's  Glory ;  Birth  of  a  virgin  ;  manifold 
character.  Cf.  vi. ;  vii.  14;  ix.  6,  7;  xi.  i,  10; 
xxviii.  16 ;  xxxii.  2.  But  at  Chapter  xl.  there 
is  an  abrupt  transition  from  the  historical  to 
the  prophetical  and  Messianic  portion.  Then 
follows  the  fullest  portrayal  of  Messiah's  Person 
and  Mission,  humiliation  and  exaltation,  to  be 
found  in  the  entire  Old  Testament.  'Yh.^  first 
five  verses  of  Chapter  xl.  are  the  germ  of  the 
whole  twenty-seven  chapters.  To  a  sinning, 
suffering  people,  God's  first  message  is  Com- 
fort;  He  has  pardoned  their  sins.  But  pardon 
is  not  all.  A  Herald  (John  Baptist)  is  coming  to 
(56) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


57 


prepare  the  Way  of  the  Lord  ;  and  then  shall 
follow  a  new  Revelation  of  His  glory,  and  all 
Flesh  shall  see  it  together.  Here  we  have  Rec- 
onciliation and  Incarnation,  Complete  Revela- 
tion, and  Universal  Evangelization.  Christ's 
death  is  so  clearly  foretold  in  Chapter  liii.,  that 
Bolingbroke  could  evade  its  force  only  by  claim- 
ing that  Jesus  brought  on  His  own  crucifixion 
by  a  series  of  preconcerted  measures,  merely  to 
give  His  disciples  the  triumph  of  an  appeal  to 
prophecy! ! 

These  twenty-seven  chapters  constitute  one 
grand  Messianic  Poem,  subdivided  into  three 
books ;  the  first  and  the  second  end  with  the 
solemn  refrain,  **  There  is  no  peace,  saith  the 
Lord,  unto  the  wicked  ";  and  the  third  expresses 
the  same  thought  more  fully :  "  Their  worm 
shall  not  die,  neither  shall  their  fire  be  quenched, 
and  they  shall  be  an  abhorring  unto  all  flesh." 
Each  book  consists  of  three  sections  of  three 
chapters  each,  nearly  corresponding  with  the 
divisions  in  our  English  Bibles : 

Chap.  Chap, 

( xl.  (  xlix. 

]xli.  h. 

(  xlii. — xliii.  13.        (  li. 
(  xliii.  14 — xliv.  5.    C  1 


(xliii.  14 — xliv.  5.    Clii.  1-12. 
\  xliv.  6-23.  \  LIII. 

(  xliv.  24— xlv.  25.    f  liv. 


xlvi. 
xlvii. 
xlviii. 


58  JCEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

The  fifty-third  chapter  is  thus  the  middle 
chapter  of  the  middle  book  of  this  great  prophetic 
poem^  the  heart  of  the  prophetic  writings  of  the 
Old  Testament.  And  the  central  verse  of  this 
central  chapter  enshrines  the  central  truth  of  the 
Gospel: 

"  He  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions  ; 
He  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities  ; 
The  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  Hifn  ; 
And  with  His  stripes  we  are  healed." 

Divisions  :  I. :  i. — xxxix.  Chronological  and 
Historical.     See  i.  i. 
II. :  xl. — Ixvi.  The  Song  of  Messiah. 


JEREMIAH. 

Key-word:    Warning.      Key-verse:    VII.   28; 
XLVI.  I. 

This  Book  of  bold  rebuke  toward  Judah, 
and  prediction  against  Gentile  nations,  is 
the  trumpet-blast  of  a  reformer  in  the  ears 
of  a  perverse  people,  to  whom  twenty  chap- 
ters of  argument  and  appeal  are  vainly  ad- 
dressed. Here  Messiah  appears  as  The 
Branch,  The  King  on  David's  Throne,  The 
Lord  our  Righteousness  ;  typically  in  Jere- 
miah himself,  coming  with  a  rejected  mes- 
sage of  repentance  and  salvation. 

Judah  needed  the  voice  of  warning.  Declen- 
sion followed  Josiah's  death ;  virtual  paganism, 
with  licentiousness  and  corruption,  tainted  even 
priests  and  prophets.  Superstitious  rites  crept 
in :  the  worship  of  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  with 
Ishtar  (Easter)  cakes  (vii.  17,  18;  xliv.  18-26), 
and  human  sacrifices  to  Moloch. 

Jeremiah,  called  in  youth,  held  the  prophetic 
sceptre  for  over  forty  years,  B.C.  628-586. 
Nearly  a  hundred  years  lie  between  him  and 
Isaiah.     His  warning  rebukes,  though  tempered 

(S9) 


6o  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

with  tender  entreaty,  availed  nothing.  Jehoia- 
kim  burned  his  Roll  and  sought  his  life ;  and 
Hezekiah  was  vainly  warned  of  the  coming 
Captivity.  The  grandeur  of  his  character  ap- 
pears in  his  fearlessness  and  faithfulness  and 
passion  for  souls.  He  faced  misrepresentation, 
persecution,  the  dungeon,  and  death,  rather 
than  keep  back  one  word  of  the  truth.  Not- 
withstanding his  heroism  and  gentleness,  his 
bold  rebukes  made  him  hated.  He  was  in  a 
dungeon  when  Nebuchadnezzar  took  Jerusalem, 
went  to  Egypt  with  the  remnant,  and,  according 
to  tradition,  was  there  stoned  by  his  own  coun- 
trymen. 

Divisions  :  I. :  i. — xxxviii.  Prophecies,  etc., 
as  to  Judah,  down  to  the  Chaldean  Invasion. 

n. :  xxxix. — xliv.  Prophecy  and  History 
after  Jerusalem's  Fall. 

HI. :  xlvi. — li.  Prophecies  against  Egypt, 
Philistia,  Moab,  Ammon,  Edom,  Damascus, 
Kedar  and  Hazor,  Elam  and  Babylon.  Chap-^ 
ter  xlv.  is  a  fragment  apparently  out  of  place ; 
Hi.  is  an  appendix 


LAMENTATIONS. 

Key-word:  DESTRUCTION.     Key-verse:  11.  II. 

This  is  the  minor  strain  of  prophecy, 
a  funeral  dirge.  The  weeping  prophet, 
whose  life  was  one  long  martyrdom,  fully 
identified  with  the  sorrow  of  his  people  and 
the  desolation  of  the  Holy  City,  utters  the 
wail  of  a  broken  heart.  He  sees  the  Chal- 
dean army  as  the  scourge  of  God  chastising 
His  wayward  people :  but  even  His  judg- 
ments call  them  to  return.  Cf.  Jesus  weep- 
ing over  Jerusalem.     Luke  xix.  41-42. 

Note  the  artistic  arrangement  of  this  poem.  It 
is  an  acrostic  of  singularly  symmetrical  structure. 
There  are  five  elegiac  cantos.  In  the  first  three 
Laments,  each  stanza  is  a  triplet ;  in  the  fourth, 
each  is  a  couplet.  Moreover,  in  the  third  or 
middle,  the  climax  of  the  poem,  the  three  mem- 
bers of  each  stanza  begin  with  the  same  letter ; 
and  the  Revised  Version  properly  arranges  the 
sixty-six  verses  in  groups  of  three  each.  In  the 
fifth  canto,  the  acrostic  feature  disappears,  but 
there  are  twenty-two  stanzas,  corresponding  m 
number  to  the  letters  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet. 

(61) 


62  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

In  the  first  Lament,  Zion  appears,  a  weeping 
widow  in  garments  of  mourning ;  in  the  three 
following,  the  poet-prophet,  pathetically  paint- 
ing pictures  of  the  ruin  of  the  sacred  capital.  In 
the  fifth,  the  People  chanting  mournfully,  con- 
fess their  sin,  bewail  their  woe,  and  appeal  to 
the  Pity  of  God. 

The  "  Grotto  of  Jeremiah,"  where  tradition 
places  him,  as  looking  down  upon  the  city  and 
weeping  over  it,  is  shown  on  the  hillside  west  of 
Jerusalem, 

Jeremiah's  vision  of  Jerusalem  wasted  and 
Babylon  exulting,  should  be  compared  with 
John's  vision  of  Babylon  destroyed  and  the  New 
Jerusalem  revealed  in  triumph  and  heavenly 
beauty.  Rev.  xviii.  Better  to  be  one  with  Je 
rusalem  in  afiflictions  that  issue  in  glory,  than 
one  with  Babylon  in  the  pride  that  ends  in 
shame. 

Divisions  :  Five  elegies,  each  a  chapter.  The 
first,  second,  and  fourth,  each  subdivided  into 
two  equal  parts,  and  the  third  into  three.  (i-i8, 
19-42,  43-66.)  The  subdivisions  are  easily  de- 
tected by  change  of  speaker  and  personal  pro- 
noun. 


EZEKIEL. 

Key-word:  VISIONS.     Key-verse:  I.  i. 

EzEKiEL,  the  Prophet  of  the  Iron  Harp, 
remarkable  for  energy  of  utterance,  was  a 
priest  by  line  of  descent.  He  is  a  pure 
Seer,  who  has  visions  of  God.  His  pen  is 
more  conspicuous  than  his  tongue,  and  his 
style  is  vivid  and  fervid.  He  sees  the  Glory 
of  the  Lord,  records  its  departure  from  the 
city  and  Temple  because  of  idolatry  and 
iniquity,  and,  after  national  judgments,  its 
Return  in  the  latter  day,  and  the  national 
Resurrection  of  Israel. 

The  opening  vision  grandly  represents  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  as  seen  in  His  works  and 
word  ;  in  Creation,  Providence,  Scripture,  Grace. 
The  Ring  resting  on  earth,  its  rim,  full  of  eyes, 
reaching  to  heaven  ;  the  wheel  within  a  wheel ; 
the  fourfold  faces  of  the  lion,  calf,  man,  eagle, — 
may  express  the  grandeur,  sublimity,  wisdom 
and  power,  complication  and  mystery  of  all  His 
operations. 

Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  prophesied  in  Jerusalem. 
Kzekiel  by  the  river  Chebar,  among  the  captives. 

(^>3) 


64  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

Jeremiah  sketches  the  moral  condition  of  God's 
people  from  the  thirteenth  year  of  Josiah's  reign ; 
Ezekiel,  between  the  captivities  of  Jehoiachin 
and  Zedekiah,  the  last  two  kings  of  Judah.  He 
unfolds  the  morale  of  the  Captivity  :  Law  and 
Penalty  ;  God's  Judgment  on  idolatry  and  proud 
self-confidence;  His  instrument  the  Chaldeans. 
Ezekiel  should  be  compared  with  the  other 
three  major  prophets,  but  particularly  Daniel ; 
and  with  John  in  the  Apocalypse  over  eighty 
points  of  contact  will  be  found.  The  fourfold 
Living  Creatures  {Zooa),  seen  in  Ezekiel's  vision, 
on  earth,  appear  in  John's,  in  heaven.  Ezekiel 
sees  the  Church  in  judgment  with  Temple  rit- 
ual ;  John,  in  Revelation,  sees  the  Church  in 
purity  and  victory  with  no  Temple. 

Divisions:  I:  i. — xxiv.  Introductory  Vision, 
Commission  as  Prophet,  Prediction  of  Jerusa- 
lem's Fall. 

n.:  XXV. — xxxii.  Judgment  of  Ammon,  Tyre, 
Egypt,  Edom,  Moab,  Philistia. 

in.:  xxxiii. — xxxix.  Warnings  and  Promises 
to  Israel  and  Judah. 

IV. :  xl. — xlviii.     Ideal  Temple  and  City. 


DANIEL. 

Key-word:  REVEALED  Secret.    Key-verse :  II. 

22. 

This  Book  is  not  properly  a  history  of 
Jews,  Babylonians,  or  Daniel,  being  contin- 
uous neither  in  matter  nor  in  time  of  compo- 
sition. Prophecy  and  history  are  inter- 
mingled ;  incidents,  from  a  period  of  about 
seventy  years,  are  chosen  to  illustrate  the 
power  of  a  fixed  will,  separation  unto  God, 
and  the  prayer  of  faith  ;  God's  interposition 
in  miracle,  inspiration  in  prophecy,  Provi- 
dence over  kings  and  nations,  and  the  Min- 
istry of  Angels. 

The  book  is  in  two  equal  parts :  the  first  is 
a  Narration;  the  second,  a  Revelation.  The 
Period  is  that  of  the  Babylonish  Captivity ; 
Nebuchadnezzar  at  the  summit  of  power,  able 
but  arrogant  and  despotic.  In  this  very  centre 
of  Pagan  World-power,  Jehovah  visits  His  exiles 
by  miracle  and  prophecy,  to  show  His  Power 
and  comfort  them  by  glimpses  of  the  Future. 

The  Narrative  portion  presents  conflict  be- 
five  en  the  True  God  and  False  Gods,  in  six  forms : 
5  (65) 


66  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

1.  Wisdom,  or  intellectual  capacity  ;  four  He- 
brew captives  in  competition  with  Chaldean 
sages. 

2.  Power  to  reveal  Divine  Secrets ;  Daniel's 
Prayer,  not  only  discovering  interpretations,  but 
even  disclosing  dreams. 

3.  The  worship  of  Jehovah  versus  idols  ;  the 
three  Holy  Children  delivered  even  from  the 
ordeal  of  Fire. 

4.  Human  versus  Divine  Sovereignty.  Neb- 
uchadnezzar's "■  I  "  succumbs  to  the  great  "  I 
Am." 

5.  Sacrilege  versus  Retribution.  Belshazzar's 
profane  feast  and  the  Awful  Handwriting  on 
the  Wall. 

6.  Lower  versus  Higher  Law.  The  Decree 
of  Darius  reversed,  and  Daniel  taken  unhurt 
out  of  the  Den  of  Lions. 

The  Apocalyptic  portion  contains  two  Dreams 
of  World  Empires^ — the  Four  Beasts,  and  the 
Ram  and  He-goat ;  Daniel's  Prayer  of  Confession 
and  the  Answering  Revelation ;  Angelic  Minis- 
tries ;  prophecies  as  to  Persia  and  Greece ;  and 
the  Times  before  the  End.  The  prophecies  are 
thus  in  two  classes  :  First,  relating  to  Babylonian 
Monarchs,  Nebuchadnezzar  and  Belshazzar;  and 
secondly.  Future  Developments,  embracing  a 
general  glance  at  World  Empires  which  grew 
out  of  the  Babylonian  or  Chaldean  Monarchy, 
then   the   almost    single   supreme   Power,  viz. : 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.  67 

Medo-Persian,  Macedonian  or  Grecian,  and  Ro- 
man. The  four  kingdoms  of  Chapter  ii.  and 
the  four  beasts  of  Chapter  vii.  are  the  same. 
Porphyry  acknowledged  the  exact  fulfilment  of 
these  prophecies,  but  said  they  must  have  been 
zuritten  after  the  events  ! 

The  Times  of  the  Messiah  are  exactly  given 
in  Chapter  ix.  24.  It  was  seventy  Heptades,  or 
periods  of  seven,  i.  e.,  490  years,  from  the  decree 
of  Cyrus  to  the  Messiah's  Sacrifice  and  the 
sevenfold  Finishing  of  His  Atoning  Work.  (B.C. 
455  to  A.D.  33.  As  Christ  was  born  from  four  to 
five  years  before  the  Christian  era,  as  commonly 
reckoned,  only  69  Heptades  have  been  fulfilled. 
May  not  Daniel's  70th  week  be  apocalyptic  ?) 

Joseph  in  Egypt  and  John  in  Patmos  strange- 
ly correspond  to  Daniel  in  Babylon.  This  book 
is  full  of  mottoes  for  the  young  :  "  He  would  not 
defile  himself,"  "An  excellent  spirit  was  in  him," 
"  He  was  faithful,"  '*  He  believed  in  his  God," 
"  Stand  in  thy  lot,"  etc. 

Divisions  :  I, :  i. — vi.  The  Conflict. 
H. :  The  Revelation,  vii. — xii. 


THE  MINOR  PROPHETS. 

These  twelve  were  classed  by  the  Jews 
as  one  book  (Acts  vii.  42).  By  whom  they 
were  collected  is  not  known,  but  Ezra,  Ne- 
hemiah  and  Malachi  may  have  aided  in 
forming  the  canon".  The  period  which  they 
cover,  within  which  the  major  prophets  also 
fall,  extends  from  about  870  to  440  B.C. 
The  chronological  order  is  about  as  follows  : 
Joel,  Jonah,  Obadiah  (?),  Amos,  Hosea, 
Micah,  Nahum,  Zephaniah,  Habakkuk, 
(Obadiah.^),  Haggai,  Zechariah,  Malachi. 

The  Division  of  the  Kingdo7'/i  antedates  Joel's 
day  by  more  than  a  century.  Hence,  in  these 
prophecies  we  meet  the  two  kingdoms  of  Judah 
and  Israel  with  their  respective  sins  and  judg- 
ments, calamities  and  captivities.  Within  this 
most  eve7ttful  era  in  Hebrew  history  crowd  an 
awful  array  of  evils  and  disasters :  calf-worship 
and  idol-worship,  forbidden  marriages  and  for- 
eign alliances,  moral  profligacy  and  religious 
apostasy,  invasions  from  without  and  wars  from 
within,  captivities  and  restorations.  The  history 
(68) 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


69 


must  be  placed  side  by  side  with  the  prophecy, 
for  each  interprets  the  other. 

The  prophecies  contained  in  these  twelve 
books  present  one  complete  view.  The  king- 
dom of  David  is  seen  as  rent  asunder,  and  its 
riven  portions  end  in  apparent  ruin.  But  a  be- 
lieving Remnant  always  survives  the  wreck,  and  a 
Restoration  will  come  when  David's  Son  will 
rebuild  the  ruined  nation  and  re-establish  the 
throne.  There  is  a  constant  Look  Forward,  past 
Macedonian  conquests  and  Maccabean  successes, 
the  apostasy  of  the  Jews  and  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem;  beyond  even  the  dispersion  of  the 
elect  nation,  to  the  Final  Conversion  and  Ulti- 
mate Restoration  of  God's  Chosen  People. 

The.  Old  Testament  outline  of  Messiah  and 
His  Kingdom,  which  at  earlier  periods  of  proph- 
ecy was  like  a  "  drawing  without  color,"  now 
reaches  completeness,  and  every  prophetic  book 
adds  at  least  another  touch  or  tint  to  the  grand 
picture.  David  in  the  Psalms  presents  Messiah 
as  Priest  and  King;  Isaiah,  as  the  obedient 
Servant,  the  suffering  Saviour,  the  reigning  Con- 
queror; Ezekiel,  as  the  ideal  Priest  of  an  ideal 
Temple ;  Daniel,  as  the  Prince,  cut  off  without 
throne,  people,  or  kingdom,  but  standing  up  at 
last  on  the  ruins  of  the  colossal  World-Power. 
Zechariah  presents  him  in  all  three  offices,  proph- 
et, priest,  king;  and  Malachi  closes  the  canon 
with  references  to  His  first  and  second  Advents. 


70  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

Once  let  the  reader  of  Prophecy  get  clear 
conceptions  of  this  fact,  that  Christ  is  its  Per- 
sonal Centre  and  Israel  its  National  Centre^  and 
that  around  about  these  centres  all  else  clusters 
and  that  in  them  all  else  converges,  and, "  whether 
he  walks  or  runs,  he  will  see  all  things  clearly," 
for  the  vision  is  written  in  large  letters  as  upon 
tablets  by  the  wayside. 


HOSEA. 

Key-word :  Return.     Key-verse:  XIV.  9. 

This  message  is  for  the  northern  king- 
dom, Israel,  of  which  Hosea  was  a  native 
(?).  The  mortal  throes  of  that  kingdom 
were  at  hand ;  and  Israel,  rebuked  as  the 
faithless  wife  of  a  Divine  Husband,  is  bid- 
den to  return  from  her  backslidings  unto 
Him.  This  unique  Ephrai7iiiie  Book  scarce 
mentions  Judah,  and  does  not  openly  refer 
to  Jerusalem,  Hosea  s  period  spans  half  a 
century. 

This  book  is  rhythmical ;  its  language  meta- 
phorical and  laconic.  The  nation  was  rotten 
with  private  vices  and  public  crimes:  lying  and 
perjury,  drunkenness  and  lust,  robbery,  murder, 
treason,  and  regicide.  The  worship  of  Jehovah 
was  corrupted  with  idolatry  and  profaned  by 
formality.  Situated  midway  between  Egypt 
and  Assyria,  two  factions  existed  ;  one  favoring 
alliance  with  Egypt,  the  other,  with  Assyria. 

The  Kingdom  of  Israel  had  a  brief  period  of 

(71) 


^2  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD, 

prosperity  followed  by  decadence  and  rapid 
ruin.  There  came  violent  changes  on  the 
throne  ;  Assyria's  first  appearance  in  Palestine : 
finally  Sargon  took  Samaria  and  Captivity  ended 
the  scene. 

Divisions:  I.  :i. — iii.  The  Marriage  Cove- 
nant with  Jehovah. 

II. :  iv. — xiv.  The  Stages  of  Decline :  the 
exhortation  to  Return. 


JOEL. 

Key-word:  JUDGMENT.     Key-verse:   II.  13. 

This  Pioneer  of  the  Prophets  lived  in 
Judah,  probably  in  Jerusalem  in  the  early 
days  of  Joash,  b.c.  870-865.  Locusts  and 
Drought  are  used  as  symbols  of  swarms  of 
invaders  and  dried-up  national  resources. 
He  calls  a  Fast,  to  remove  the  present, 
and  avert  the  threatened,  Scourge ;  foretells 
prosperity,  on  condition  of  repentance,  and 
the  Future  Effusion  of  the  Spirit,  the 
Latter  Rain  after  drought. 

Joel  speaks  to  Judah,  making  no  reference  to 
Israel,  or  to  idolatrous  practices.  The  priests 
and  people  appear,  as  during  Jehoida's  priest- 
hood, occupied  with  Temple-Service  and  Sacri- 
fice. The  Phoenicians,  Philistines,  Edomites, 
Egyptians  have  mention;  but  not  the  Babylo- 
nian, Assyrian,  or  Syrian  invasions.  Had  he 
survived  Joash,  he  would  have  noticed  the  last. 

Divisions:  I.:  i. — ii.  17.  The  Judgment,  and 
Call  to  Repentance. 

II.:  ii.  18 — iii.  21.  The  Promise  for  the  Pres- 
ent and  Future. 

(73) 


AMOS. 

Key-word:  PUNISHMENT.      Key-verse:  IV.  12. 

Like  his  cotemporary,  Hosea,  Amos 
wrote  for  Israel,  and  denounces  the  same 
evils,  foretelling  overthrow  by  a  foreign  foe 
as  the  punishment  for  Israel's  sins.  The 
threats  against  the  surrounding  heathen, 
with  which  he  begins,  hold  out  no  final  hope  ; 
but  Israel  has  Promise  of  New  Deliver- 
ance and  Prosperity  under  the  House  of 
David. 

Amos,  though  a  prophet  of  Israel,  was  a  native 
of  Judah,  and  a  shepherd  of  Tekoa.  Bethel 
was  the  scene  of  his  ministry. 

Divisions  :  I. :  i. — ii.  Prophecies  against 
Syrians,  Philistines,  Phoenicians,  Edomites,  Am- 
monites, Moabites,  etc. 

II.:  iii. — vi.     Against  Israel. 

III.:  vii. — ix.     Visions,  Consolatory  and  Con- 
demnatory, covering  times  previous  to,  and  dur- 
ing Messiah's  Reign. 
(74) 


OBADIAH. 

Key-word:  Edom.     Key-verse:  21. 

Briefest  of  the  Prophecies,  this  covers 
the  character,  career,  doom,  and  downfall  of 
Edom  or  Idumaea.  Esau's  descendants 
were,  to  the  last,  the  foes  of  Jacob's, — • 
proud,  bitter,  resentful  -  neighbors.  Gov- 
erned at  first  by  Dukes,  and  afterward  by- 
Kings,  they  were  in  their  golden  age  when 
the  Israelites  were  at  their  Exodus.  When 
Babylon  assaulted  the  Holy  City,  Edom 
rejoiced  to  join  the  assault.     Ps.  cxxxvii.  7. 

Of  Obadiah  and  his  thnes^  we  know  nothing. 
His  period  is  either  before  800,  or  after  588  B.C. 
If  he  refers  to  the  capture  of  Jerusalem,  in  the 
reign  of  Joram  II.,  the  earlier  date  is  the  correct 
one  ;  if  the  period  after  Nebuchadnezzar's  inva- 
sion be  indicated,  the  later.  This  is  less  prob- 
able. 

Divisions:  I.:  i — 9.   Judgment  Announced. 

II. :   10 — 16.     Its  Justification. 

III.:   17 — 21.     Promised  Salvation  to  Zion. 

(75) 


JONAH. 

Key-word :  OVERTHROW.     Key-verse :  III.  2. 

This  prophet  of  Israel  was  sent  on  a 
mission  to  the  Gentiles.  Nineveh,  at  the 
apex  of  pride  and  prosperity,  was  to  be 
v/arned  of  coming  and  speedy  downfall. 
Jonah  rightly  read  mercy  in  his  warning 
message,  and  his  own  vindictive  wayward- 
ness drove  him  Westward  instead  of  East- 
ward, until  in  the  belly  of  a  great  fish  he 
learned  the  lesson  of  obedience  to  God  and 
pity  for  men. 

The  prophet  was  out  of  sympathy  with  Foreign 
Missions.  His  national  prejudice  construed 
God's  election  of  Israel  as  a  rejection  of  all 
others.  His  religious  intolerance  was  mixed 
with  no  mercy  for  the  heathen.  His  legal  spirit 
inclined  more  to  vengeance  than  to  grace.  His 
disloyal  temper  made  him  wilful  and  wayward, 
and  compelled  severe  Divine  correction. 

To  refine  away  from  this  story  the  Supernatural 
element  destroys  the  product  as  an  inspired 
book.  It  has  been  treated  as  a  dream,  fiction, 
(76) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


77 


fable,  parable,  apologue,  allegory ;  Jonah  has 
been  conceded  to  be  a  historical  personage,  treat- 
ed in  a  symbolical  character :  representing  in  com- 
bination two  kings  of  Judah,  Manasseh  and 
Josiah ;  the  ship,  the  Jewish  State,  and  the 
storm,  a  political  crisis;  the  ship-master,  the 
High  Priest,  Zadok ;  the  great  fish,  Lybon  on 
the  Orontes  where  Manasseh  was  a  prisoner. 
But  such  interpretations  make  havoc  not  only 
of  the  inspiration  of  the  Word,  but  of  the  Di- 
vinity of  our  Lord,  who  treated  this  as  a  veritable 
narrative.     Matt.  xii.  39-41  ;  xvi.  4. 

The  selfish  unbelief  and  vindictiveness  of 
man  here  contrast  with  the  gracious  patience 
and  benevolence  of  God.  The  gourd  illustrates 
the  Mediatory  needful  to  interpose  between  the 
head  of  the  sinner  and  the  insufferable  Glory  of 
the  Holiness  of  God. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.  Jonah's  Commission  and 
Correction. 

H. :  ii.     His  Prayer  and  Deliverance. 

HI. :  iii. — iv.  His  Commission  renewed  and 
discharged. 


MICAH. 

Key-word:  CONTROVERSY.     Key-verse:    VI.  2. 

MicAH  speaks  both  to  Samaria  and  Jeru- 
salem, but  mainly  to  Judah.  As  in  all  gen- 
uine prophecy,  through  present  judgment 
future  blessing  appears.  The  Lord's  Coji- 
trove7'sy  with  His  people  issues  in  infinite 
Co7npassion.  Bethlehem,  the  Little,  is 
preferred  above  Jerusalem,  Mother  of  all, 
as  the  cradle  of  Messiah.  He  paints  in  un- 
rivalled hues  the  character  of  Jehovah,  who 
both  Passes  over  transgressions  and  over- 
whelms them  as  in  the  sea.  Cf.  vii.  18-20. 
Exod.  xii.  23;  xiv.  27. 

Micah  was  cotemporary  with  Isaiah  and 
Hosea:  his  period,  between  756  and  699  B.C. 
The  sins  he  rebuked  were  the  fruit  of  the  un- 
restrained idolatry  under  Ahaz.  The  ruin  of 
both  kingdoms  with  their  capitals  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  Return  of  the  Remnant,  the  resto- 
ration of  the  Jewish  State  and  the  Reign  of 
Messiah.  The  word,  ''  Hear,"  marks  the  di- 
visions. 

(78) 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


79 


Divisions:  I.:  i.— ii.  Divine  Visitation  of 
Israel  and  Judah. 

II.:  iii. — V.  The  Desert  of  Sin  and  the  Grace 
of  the  Last  Days. 

III. :  vi. — vii.  Jehovah's  Controversy  and 
Forgiveness. 


NAHUM. 

Key-word:  Full-End.     Key-verse :  I.  8,  9. 

This  is  the  Burden  of  Nineveh.  Jonah's 
warning,  perhaps  a  century  before,  had  led 
to  repentance ;  but  judgment,  deferred,  is 
not  averted.  God  will  no  longer  spare : 
the  threat  of  "  overthrow  "  now  changes  to 
that  of  the  full-end,  annihilation.  In  im- 
ages, never  surpassed  in  the  words  or 
thought  of  man,  the  doom  of  the  vast 
capital  is  portrayed. 

As  to  the  person  and  period  of  Nahum,  he 
seems  to  have  prophesied  in  Palestine  some- 
where between  712  and  685  B.C.,  in  the  latter 
part  of  Hezekiah's  reign.  He  vividly  and  graph- 
ically describes  Sennacherib's  Assyrian  army, 
whose  last  attempt  to  crush  the  Jews,  in  the 
]4th  year  of  Hezekiah,  met  disastrous  defeat. 
From  fifty  to  a  hundred  years  after  this  predic- 
tion, 625  B.C.,  the  forces  of  Cyaxares  and  Na- 
bopolasar  overthrew  Nineveh  and  Assyria. 
(80) 


HABAKKUK. 

Key-word:    FAITH.     Key-verse:    II.  4. 

This  is  the  Prophet  of  Faith.  He  has  a 
vision  of  the  Coming  Judgment  of  Judah 
by  the  Chaldean  Invasion,  but  a  more  im- 
portant vision  of  jMstiJication  by  Faith. 
His  name,  'Fmbracel'  expresses  the  cling- 
ing trust  that  lays  hold  on  God,  and  in  his 
poem  the  central  word  and  thought  is 
Faith,  in  its  vital  relation  to  righteousness 
and  life's  trials  and  triumphs.  The  Prayer 
with  which  this  book  closes  touches  the 
summit  of  the  sublime. 

"  The  JUST  shall  live  by  his  faith."  This 
is  the  significant  vision  which  he  was  to  make 
plain  upon  the  tablets,  such  as  were  inscribed 
in  large  letters  and  set  up  in  public  places.  This 
motto  became  the  centre  of  Paul's  doctrinal 
system.  Rom.  i.  7;  Gal.  iii.  11  ;  Heb.  x.  38.  In 
Romans,  JUST,  is  the  emphatic  word ;  in  Gala- 
tians,  FAITH ;  in  Hebrews,  LIVE.  When,  to  the 
Galatians,  he  refers  to  the  ''  large  letters  "  that 
6  (81^ 


82  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD, 

he  has  written  with  his  own  ''  hand,"*  he  prob- 
ably means  this  quotation  from  Habakkuk,  the 
great  sentence  written  in  large  characters  upon 
the  wayside  tablets,  and  which  afterward  became 
the  Creative  sentence  of  the  Great  Reformation, 
written  large  by  Luther,  to  be  read  by  the  whole 
race  of  man. 

The  probable  date  of  the  prophecy  is  608-604 
B.C.,  during  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim.  The  Chal- 
deans are  about  to  invade  Judea;  God  uses 
them  as  His  Hammer  to  punish  Judah,  and 
then  breaks  the  Hammer  itself  in  pieces.  Jer. 
1.  23. 

Faith  is  the  central  figure,  presented  in  all  its 
aspects,  the  pledge  and  test  of  Righteousness, 
the  fruit  and  proof  of  Life.  It  gives  light  in 
darkness,  triumph  in  trial,  peace  in  perplexity, 
stayed  on  the  Word  of  God,  the  Rock  of  Ages. 
Isa.  xxvi.  2,  3.  In  the  entanglements  of  events, 
faith  sees  God  working  His  own  Will,  and  the 
final  good  of  His  People. 

Divisions  :  I. :  i. — ii.  The  Prophet's  Collo- 
quy. He  speaks,  i.  2-4.  God  answers,  5-1 1. 
He  speaks  again,  12-17.  ^^  then  takes  a  wait- 
ing attitude,  ii.  I.    God  speaks  again,  2-20. 

II. :  iii.    The  Prayer. 

♦Gal.  vi.  II.    Greek. 


ZEPHANIAH. 

Key-word:  Remnant.  Key-verse:  I  4; 

HI.  13. 

This  "  Compendium  of  all  Prophecy," 
though  addressed  to  Judah  and  Jerusalem, 
is  a  survey  of  Jehovah's  universal  govern- 
ment. The  whole  earth  is  the  theatre 
where  the  Judge  of  all  displays  the  grand- 
eur of  Law  and  the  glory  of  Love.  From 
every  quarter,  nations  are  chosen  as  ex- 
amples of  His  just  judgment,  ii.  4-15.  A 
double  "  remnanf  is  spoken  of:  a  remnant 
of  Baal  that  shall  not  escape  ;  a  Remnani 
of  Israel  that  shall  survive  even  judgment. 

Zephaniah's /^rz^^^nies  between  642  and  610 
B.C.  He  predicts  the  overthrow  of  Assyria 
with  Nineveh,  and  must  have  prophesied  before 
625  B.C.,  in  the  earlier  part  of  Josiah's  reign, 
when  idolatries  were  partly  destroyed,  but  a 
remnant  of  Baal  remained.  His  message  is 
mainly  to  the  Jews :  a  rebuke  of  idolatry  and 
depravity,  and  a  warning  of  the  Day  of  Jehovah, 
which  is  fourteen  times  referred  to,  in  chapter  i. 

(83) 


§4  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

The  glory  of  the  Latter  Day  is  foreseen,  when 
all  nations  shall  unite  in  the  worship  of  the  One 
God. 

Divisions:  I.:  i. — ii.  3.     The  Day  of  Judg- 
ment. 

II. :  ii.  4 — iii,  7.     The  Provocation. 
III. :  iii.  8-20.     The  Salvation. 


HAGGAI. 

Key-word:  BuiLD.     Key-verse:  1.8. 

Haggai  heads  the  list  of  Post-Exile  minor 
Prophets.  He  sounds  God's  call  to  an  apa- 
thetic people  to  rebuild  His  ruined  Temple. 
He  contrasts  the  shame  of  their  neglect 
with  the  reward  of  their  fidelity.  He  prom- 
ises that  Jehovah  will  take  pleasure  in 
the  work :  the  glory  of  the  Latter  House 
shall  be  greater  than  of  the  Former,  for  the 
Desire  of  all  Nations  shall  come  and  tread 
its  Courts. 

In  Ezra  this  book  finds  a  historic,  and  in  Zech- 
ariah  a  prophetic,  Commentary.  Haggai  was 
probably  one  of  the  captives,  returning  under 
Zerubbabel,  536  B.C.,  and  prophesied  in  the  reign 
of  Darius  Hystaspis.  The  work  of  building, 
stayed  through  Samaritan  influence  with  Smer- 
dis  the  usurper,  might  have  been  resumed  when 
Darius  took  the  throne  (521  B.C.),  had  not  the 
sluggishness  of  an  unfaithful  people  delayed  it. 
Under  the  appeals  of  Haggai  and  Zechariah,  the 
work  again  began  in  the  second  year  of  Darius, 

520  B.C. 

(85) 


86  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

Haggai  found  some  leaders  of  the  people  to 
whom  prophecy  proved  not  a  tonic  and  stimu- 
lant, but  a  sedative  and  narcotic.  Applying  the 
"  seventy  years  "  to  the  Temple  as  well  as  to  the 
Exile,  they  said  that  as  yet  but  sixty-eight  years 
had  passed  since  its  destruction,  588  B.C.,  and 
that  the  "  Time  had  not  come  ....  for  the 
Lord's  House  to  be  built."  So  they  let  the 
Temple  lie  waste,  while  they  built  ceiled  houses 
for  themselves ! 

Divisions:  I.:  i.     The  Exhortation. 
II.:  ii.  1-9.     The  Encouragement. 
III. :  ii.  10-19.     A  Message  to  the  Priests. 
IV. :  ii.  20-23.     A  Message  to  Zerubbabel. 


ZECHARIAH. 

Key-word:  JEALOUS.     Key-verse:  VIII.  2. 

Zechariah  is  the  Prophet  of  the  Advent, 
Eight  visions  in  one  night  unveil  God's 
Providence  and  Grace  toward  the  Elect 
Nation :  her  foes  shall  be  destroyed,  her 
idols  removed,  her  City  and  Temple  re- 
stored, and  her  Messiah  revealed.  If  God's 
promises  are  to  be  enjoyed,  His  precepts 
must  be  obeyed,  the  Moral  Law  outranking 
the  Ceremonial.  Then  Fasts  become  Feasts. 
Jehovah  is  Jealous  for  His  people:  His 
jealousy  demands  their  purity  and  destroys 
their  foes. 

Zechariah,  who  stood  by  Haggai  in  urging 
the  rebuilding,  was,  if  Tradition  be  true,  laid  be- 
side him  after  death.  A  priest  by  birth,  and 
probably  born  in  Babylon,  he  returned  with 
Zerubbabel. 

The  book  is  in  three  parts.  The  first  six 
chapters  record  the  visions ;  the  next  two,  God's 
answer  concerning  the  Fast ;  and  the  last  six 
contain  predictions  that  reach  to  the  Consum- 

(87) 


88  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

mation  of  the  Kingdom.  They  cover  the  Ex- 
pedition of  Alexander  the  Great,  the  Fall  of 
Jerusalem,  Jewish  Dispersion  and  Final  Con- 
version, Messiah's  Advent,  and  the  Great  Feast 
of  Tabernacles.  The  Confederacy  that  resists 
the  re-establishment  of  the  Jews  in  their  own 
Land  shall  be  broken  in  pieces;  worship  shall 
be  restored  in  ideal  purity,  and  even  the  Gen 
tiles  shall  join  in  it.  Messiah  is  twice  referred 
to  as  the  Branchy  or  Royal  Stem. 

Divisions:  I.:  i. — vi.     Visions. 

II.  :vii. — viii.     Concerning  Fasts. 

III. :  ix. — xiv.     The  Prophetic  Prospect. 


MALACHI. 

Key-word:  Robbery.     Key-verse:  III.  8. 

Malachi  means  ''My  Messenger'^  He 
was  sent  to  denounce  practices  that  dis- 
honored God  and  His  Worship,  and  to 
strengthen  the  hands  of  Nehemiah  in  re- 
forming abuses.  His  message  closes  the 
Old  Testament.  But  through  Four  Cen- 
turies of  Silence  he  foresees  another  Mes- 
seiiger  who  is  to  prepare  the  way  of  the 
Lord ;  and  the  advent  of  the  Lord  himself, 
the  greatest  Messenger  of  all,  the  "  Angel 
of  the  Covenant." 

This  prophecy  is  of  later  date  than  Haggai, 
but  belongs  to  the  times  of  Nehemiah,  440-410 
B.C.,  to  whom  Malachi  bore  a  relation  such  as 
Haggai  and  Zechariah  bore  to  Zerubbabel.  In 
form  it  is  a  dialogue:  the  prophet's  rebukes  are 
met  by  rejoinders,  which  only  evoke  more  scath- 
ing reproofs. 

Robbery  of  God  is  its  sad  key-note.  Idolatry 
had  disappeared,  but  formality  and  hypocrisy 
had  taken  its  place.    The  people  withheld  God's 

(89) 


90 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


dues  altogether,  or  nominally  paid  their  holy  ob- 
ligations with  worthless  offerings.  There  was 
also  Robbery  of  the  poor,  and  the  prophet 
with  a  scourge  not  of  small  cords  lashes  both 
priests  and  people. 

The  hollow  formalism  and  complaining  scepti- 
cism, here  seen,  are  the  germs  of  the  Pharisaism 
and  Sadduceeism  that  reached  ripeness  in  the 
days  of  our  Lord. 

Love  and  Wrath  are  but  different  sides  of  one 
divine  character.  And  so  in  this  book  of  warn- 
ing we  find  the  crown  of  Old  Testament  Prom- 
ises, iii.  10.  Yet  the  last  word  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament is  ''  Curse."  The  Law  and  Ritual,  the 
Captivity  and  its  discipline,  priesthood  and 
prophecy,  could  not  lift  the  Curse :  there  must 
be  a  fuller  Revelation  of  Grace. 

Prophetic  silence  reaches  from  Malachi  to 
John  Baptist,  putting  beyond  doubt  that  proph- 
ecy was  complete  centuries  before  the  events 
foretold.  But  there  is  a  remarkable  link  between 
the  two  testaments :  the  last  figures  on  the  in- 
spired page  of  Malachi,  and  the  first  on  the  in- 
spired page  of  Matthew,  are  the  Angel  of  the 
Covenant  and  His  Forerunner. 


Divisions:  L:   1-5.     Introductory  Expostu- 
lation of  Jehovah. 

IL:  i.  6 — ii.  9.     Rebuke  of  Priests. 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.  gj 

III. :  ii.  10-16.  Rebuke  of  Divorce  and  mixed 
marriages. 

IV.:  ii.  17 — iii.  6.     The  Coming  Messenger. 

V. :  iii.  7-12.     Tithes  and  Offerings. 

VL:  iii.  13— iv.  6.  The  Coming  Day  of  the 
Lord. 


THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

Is  not  one  book,  but  a  little  library  of 
twenty-seven,  by  at  least  seven  different 
writers,  and  the  period  of  its  production 
spans  about  half  a  century.  There  is  no 
sign  of  collusion,  yet  there  is  no  colHsion. 

There  is  not  only  harmony,  hut  pro^7'ess 
of  doc  trine, "^  Truths,  found  in  germ  in 
the  Gospels,  are  historically  illustrated  in 
the  Acts,  doctrinally  unfolded  and  applied 
in  the  Epistles,  and  symbolically  presented 
in  the  Apocalypse. 

This  architectural  plan  is  a  proof  of  Inspira- 
tion. Even  the  order  of  the  books  has  followed 
a  divine  purpose:  it  is  not  the  order  of  produc- 
tion, but  of  the  development  and  application  of 
truth.  Behind  the  seeming  chances  of  history 
was  God's  plan  determining  the  order  of  blocks 
in  the  building.  Thus  the  Gospels  present 
Christ  in  the  four  aspects  of  His  Person  and 
Work  ;  the  Acts  show  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  Christ's 
promised  Paraclete,  acting  in  the  Church  ;  the 

*  Bernhard,  "  Progress  of  Doctrine." 

(92) 


A'EVS    TO    THE    WORD.  q^ 

Epistles  apply  Christ's  teaching  to  the  details  of 
hol}^  life  and  growth  ;  and  the  Revelation,  like 
a  dome,  covers  and  crowns  the  whole  structure. 

The  Law  of  Comparing  Scripture  with  Scrip- 
ture especially  applies  to  these  two  Testaments. 
To  read  the  Old  with  most  profit,  we  must 
begin  with  the  New  ;  without  understanding  the 
Godhead  of  Christ  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  there 
is  no  true  insight  into  the  Old  Testament.  "  N  o- 
vum  Testamentum  in  vetere,  latet ;  vetus,  in 
novo,  patet."  * 

The  Argument  from  Fulfilled  Prophecy  is  par- 
ticularly important,  as  it  bears  both  on  the  In- 
spiration of  the  Word  and  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 
The  Old  Testament  contains  three  hundred  and 
thirty-three  predictions  which  converge  in  His 
Person,  and  in  Him  alone.  To  compare  these 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  with  the  his- 
tories of  the  New,  is  enough  to  convince  any 
candid  mind  that  the  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God, 
and  Jesus  the  Son  of  God. 

*  Augustine. 


THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

This  Fourfold  Story  of  Christ's  Life  is 
proven  genuine  by  its  harmonious  testi- 
mony and  undesigned  coincidences.  Each 
presents  the  subject  from  a  different  point 
of  view,  and  the  combination  gives  us,  like 
a  series  of  concentric  mirrors,  not  an  out- 
line picture  or  a  mere  image,  but  a  divine 
Person  reflected,  projected  before  us,  like 
an  object  with  proportions  and  dimensions. 

Matthew  wrote  for  the  Jew,  and  shows  Jesus 
as  the  King  of  the  Jews,  the  Royal  Lawgiver, 
the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.  Mark  wrote 
for  the  Roman,  and  shows  Him,  as  the  Power 
of  God,  the  Mighty  Worker,  the  Ox  for  service 
and  sacrifice.  Luke  wrote  for  the  Greek,  and 
shows  Him  as  the  Wisdom  of  God,  the  human 
Teacher  and  Friend,  the  Man  Christ  Jesus. 
John,  writing  to  supplement  and  complement 
the  other  Gospels,  shows  Him  as  Son  of  God, 
as  well  as  Son  of  Man,  having  and  giving  Eter- 
nal Life,  the  Eagle  soaring  to  the  Sun,  undaz- 
zled  by  its  splendor. 

These   Four  Gospels  are  the  counterpart  of 


KEYS   ro    THE    WORD.  cjj; 

the  Four  Living  Creatures  {Zgdo)  of  Ezekiel, 
Daniel  and  the  Apocalypse.  Marvellously  joined, 
intertwined  with  coincidences,  yet  separated  by 
differences,  they  face  different  ways,  yet  move 
in  one  direction,  as  one  Spirit  guides  ;  wing  with 
wing,  wheel  within  wheel,  full  of  eyes,  the  scope 
of  their  rings  dreadful,  and  their  speed  Hkc  that 
of  lightning. 

These  are  not  Gospels  of  Matthew,  etc.,  but 
One  Gospel  of  Christy  according  to  Matthew, 
Mark,  Luke,  and  John.  The  first  three  present 
the  person  and  work  of  Christ  from  the  outward, 
earthly  side;  the  last,  from  the  inward  and 
heavenly.  In  the  beginning  of  each  gospel  we 
find  emphasized,  in  Matthew,  Christ's  genealo- 
gy; in  Mark,  His  Majesty;  in  Luke,  His  Human- 
ity; in  John,  His  Divinity.  So,  in  the  close  of 
each :  in  Matthew,  His  Resurrection ;  in  Mark, 
His  Ascension  ;  in  Luke,  His  Parting  Benedic- 
tion and  Promise  of  Enduement;  and  in  John, 
the  added  hint  of  His  Second  Coming. 


MATTHEW. 

Key-word:   KINGDOM.    Key-verse :  XXVII.  37. 

This  recognized  Hebrew  Gospel  is  the 
true  beginning  of  the  New  Testament, 
linking  it  with  the  Old.  The  New  Cove- 
nant springs  from  the  Old  :  hence  the  gen- 
eration of  Christ  is  traced  back  to  David 
and  Abraham.  Messianic  History  fulfils 
Messianic  Prophecy;  hence  the  frequent 
reference  to  prediction.  The  Prophet, 
Priest,  King,  in  whom  Old  Testament 
prophecies,  ceremonies,  and  types  meet, 
must  be  Messiah. 

Matthew  wrote  in  Palestine,  in  Hebrew,  or 
Syro-Chaldaic,  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of 
Israel.  He  puts  at  the  front  the  genealogy  of 
Christ ;  the  unit  in  the  Bible  is  the  Family.  The 
Jews  attached  great  importance  to  carefully 
kept  tables  of  lineage,  and  there  was  a  definite 
ancestral  line  in  which  Christ  should  come.  Yet, 
even  in  that  sacred  line,  we  find  aliens.  Gentiles, 
and  sinners,  for  He  came  to  save  such,  and  con- 
descended with  such  to  be  identified.  Between 
Abraham  and  Christ  were  three  times  *'  fourteen 
generations,"  or  forty-two^  the  number  of  sta- 
tions in  the  wilderness.  Starting  from  Abraham, 
(q6) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


97 


God's  pilgrim  people  found  no  resting-place  till 
they  found  Jesus. 

Matthew  proves  the  Messiahship  of  Christ, 
and  so  His  Kingship,  as  David's  son  and  suc- 
cessor. Hence  the  prominence  given  to  the 
**  Kingdom  of  Heaven  ".•  its  announcement  by 
John  the  Forerunner,  then  by  Christ ;  its  Be- 
atitudes ;  conditions  of  entrance  into  and  of 
greatness  in  it ;  the  seven  parables  of  the  king- 
dom, which  unfolded  its  mysteries  (xiii.),  and  the 
three  which  present  phases  of  the  second  ad- 
vent (xxv.).  Hence  also  the  Kingly  character 
of  Christ  is  traced  from  His  birth,  and  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Magi,  through  His  kingly  triumph 
over  the  Tempter,  His  Royal  discourse  on  the 
Laws  of  His  Kingdom,  His  majestic  miracles, 
to  His  Transfiguration,  as  the  central  event, 
because  it  unveiled  the  Full  Glory  of  the  Messi- 
anic King.  From  this  point,  little  is  done  or 
recorded,  to  prove  the  dignity  and  divinity  of 
His  Person,  and  He  now  begins  to  show  the 
doctrine  of  His  Vicarious  Passion  and  Resur- 
rection,   xvi.  21. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.— iv.  i6.  From  Christ's 
Birth  to  His  Public  Ministry. 

H. :  iv.  17 — xvi.  28.  His  Public  Ministry  to 
His  Transfiguration. 

HI. :    xvii.    i — xxviii.  20.       His    Transfigura 
tion  to  His  Last  Command. 
7 


MARK. 

Key-word  :  Service.     Key-verse :  X.  45. 

Mark  is  traditionally  connected  with 
Peter,  who  to  the  Romans  opened  the 
door  of  Faith  (Acts  xii.  12).  This  is  the 
Gospel  of  the  Works  of  Christ  (Acts 
X.  38).  Written  for  the  Roman,  whose 
watchword  was  Power,  it  exhibits  Omnipo- 
tence in  the  mighty  miracle-worker,  and 
then  the  Omnipotence  of  Love  in  the 
crowning  miracle  of  His  Passion  and  Res- 
urrection. The  symbol  of  this  Gospel  is 
the  Sacrificial  Bullock ;  first  at  the  plough 
in  Service,  then  on  the  altar  in  Sacrifice. 

The  dominant  idea  of  this  Gospel  is  Divine- 
Power  'ministering  to  men,  and  at  the  same  time 
attesting  Christ's  claims  as  the  Son  of  God. 
Hence  Mark  makes  miracles  prominent  rather 
than  Parables  or  discourses.  After  a  brief  in- 
troduction, he  begins  at  once  to  record  Christ's 
mighty  works  (i.  23).  At  least  twenty  of  His 
most  astonishing  miracles  are  given  in  detail, 
and  in  ten  instances  he  adds  general  statements 
(98) 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD.  99 

Without  entering  into  particulars  (i.  34).  Nearly- 
half  the  chapters  in  this  book  close  with  some 
comprehensive  summing  up  of  His  ministry  of 
Power  (cf.  i.,  ii.,  iv.,  vi.,  vii.,  x.,  xvi.).  Note 
especially  the  close  of  the  Book  itself. 

Here,  again,  the  Transfiguration  is  central. 
While  Matthew  emphasizes  it  as  the  revelation 
of  the  majesty  of  the  King  and  glory  of  the 
kingdom,  Mark  characteristically  adds,  "  with 
power:'  (Cf.  Matt.  xvi.  28;  Mark  ix.  i.)  After 
that  revelation  of  the  Divine  Power  of  Christ, 
miracles  fall  into  the  background,  only  three 
being  recorded. 

Mark  gives  no  genealogy  or  even  an  account 
of  Christ's  Birth,  for  he  does  not  dwell  on  His 
descent  either  from  Abraham  or  Adam.  He 
exhibits  the  Son  of  God  as  Servant  of  both 
God  and  man,  the  Ideal  Levite,  first  minister- 
ing before  the  altar,  and  then  laying  Himself 
upon  the  altar,  completing  His  service  by  self- 
sacrifice. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.  1-20.  Introduction*  The 
Forerunner,  Baptism,  Temptation,  etc. 

n. :  i.  21 — viii.  38.  His  Miraculous  Min- 
istry. 

HI.:  ix.  I — xvi.  20.  From  Transfiguration 
to  Ascension. 


LUKE. 

Key-word-:  Son  OF  Man.   Key-verse:  XIX.  lo. 

The  divinely  perfect  Humanity  of  the 
Son  of  God  is  here  portrayed,  and  His 
genealogy  traced,  beyond  David  and  Abra- 
ham, to  Adam.  This  Divine  Man,  the 
second  Adam,  is,  to  Man  as  Man,  Neighbor 
and  Friend,  Kinsman  and  Brother.  But 
He  is  also  the  Lord  from  Heaven,  the  Di- 
vine Healer  and  Helper,  Prophet  and  Sav- 
iour. Luke  was  Paul's  friend  and  com- 
panion, and  wrote  especially  for  the  Greeks, 
himself  probably  a  Gentile  proselyte. 

Here  the  Human  Birth  and  Genealogy  of 
Christ  are  conspicuous,  and  the  parables  and 
miracles  recorded  touch  universal  humanity. 
He  is  seen  going  about  doing  good.  Nearly 
one  hundred  passages  in  this  narrative  are  pe- 
culiar to  Luke.  As  the  "  beloved  physician^' 
many  incidents  would  especially  attract  his 
notice.  But  the  most  of  these  peculiar  features 
of  this  Gospel  are  due  to  his  ruling  purpose. 
He  aimed  to  represent  Christ  as  the  Wisest  of 

(lOO) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.  iqi 

Teachers  and  yet  the  Best  of  Men.  Hence  he 
gives  prominence  to  such  parables,  miracles, 
and  events  as  display  His  matchless  teaching 
and  His  identification  with  humanity. 

For  example,  Luke  gives  us  the  incident  of 
the  anointing  of  His  feet  by  the  woman  who 
was  a  sinner  (vii.  37-50),  the  story  of  Zaccheus, 
the  affectionate  warning  to  Simon  Peter  with 
the  assurance  of  His  prayer  for  him  (xxii.  31, 
32),  the  Promise  to  the  Dying  Thief,  and  the 
Interview  on  the  Way  to  Emmaus ;  also  the 
parables  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  the  Great  Sup- 
per, the  Lost  Sheep,  Lost  Piece  of  Silver,  and 
Lost  Son  (xv.) ;  the  Pharisee  and  Publican, 
and  the  Importunate  Widow — which  illustrate 
His  tenderness  and  sympathy  toward  the  neg- 
lected and  outcast,  the  suffering  and  sinful,  the 
publican  and  even  the  criminal.  The  central 
chapter  is  the  Fifteenth,  where  by  a  group  of 
three  parables,  the  Joy  over  the  Lost,  found,  is 
marvellously  presented.  The  last  words  are  a 
Blessing. 

Divisions:  L:  i.— iv.  13.  Introduction  to 
Christ's  Public  Ministry. 

II. :  iv.  14 — xxi.     To  the  Last  Passover. 

III. :  xxii. — xxiv.  To  His  Ascension  Bless- 
ing. 


JOHN. 

Key-word:  Life.     Key-verse:  XX.  31. 

This  supplements  the  rest,  settling  all 
doubt  as  to  the  proper  Divinity  and  Deity 
of  Jesus  as  Son,  not  only  of  Abraham  and 
Adam,  but  of  God.  John  lived  till  the 
first  heresies  took  shape.  As  Moses  met  all 
heresies  about  Creation,  and  led  men  back 
to  its  source  in  God,  John  met  all  heresies 
about  the  Messiah,  Miracle  Worker,  Per- 
fect Man,  by  declaring  that  in  the  Begin- 
ning the  Word  was,  was  with  God,  was 
God.  Cf.  Gen.  i.  i,  and  John  i.  i.  The 
symbol  of  this  Gospel  is  the  Eagle, 

"  The  Word  "  (Ao/os')  is  a  fine  title  to  be  ap- 
plied to  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  the  perfect  expres- 
sion of  the  perfect  mind  of  God,  the  visible  re- 
vealing the  invisible.  The  Divine  Nature, 
Eternally  existent  as  spirit,  exhibited  in  Crea- 
tion, is  fully  Manifested  in  the  Flesh,  in  Christ. 
The  object  of  John  is  not  polemic,  but  he  indi- 
rectly antagonizes  heresies,  then  developing, 
^s>'^^(i\2ii\.y  gnosticism  ;  and,  writing  last,  supple- 
ments the  other  Gospel  narratives. 
(102) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


103 


This  Gospel  touches  the  Heart  of  Christ.  If 
Matthew  corresponds  to  the  Court  of  Israel, 
Mark  to  the  Court  of  the  Priests,  and  Luke  to 
the  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  John  leads  us  past 
the  veil  into  the  Holy  of  Holies.  Here  is  the 
inmost  Temple,  filled  with  the  glory  of  God. 
The  great  theme  is  Divine  Mmtifestatioii  in 
Christ,  as  with  Paul  it  is  Divine  Reconciliation 
through  Christ. 

Deep  insight  into  the  truth  and  person  of  our 
Lord  ;  precious  records  of  His  discourses ;  the 
chosen  metaphors  of  Christ,  "  I  am  the  Bread, 
the  Light — the  Door, — the  Good  Shepherd — 
the  Way,  Truth,  Life — Vine,"  etc.,  the  Inter- 
cessory Prayer, — these  are  some  of  the  peculiar 
attractions  of  the  Fourth  Gospel. 

Life  through  Believing  is  declared  to  be  the 
practical  purpose  of  this  book,  and  from  the 
first  mention  of  Life  (i.  4)  to  the  last  (xx.  31) 
there  will  be  found  a  gradual  development  of 
this  great  theme,  every  new  reference  to  it  add- 
ing some  new  thought. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.  1-18.  Introduction.  Pro- 
logue. 

II.:  i.  19 — xii.  Successive  Manifestations  to 
Jews,  Samaritans,  and  Galileans. 

III.  :  xiii. — xix.     Christ's  Passion  and  Death. 

IV. :  xx. — xxi.     Resurrection  and  Epilogue. 


ACTS. 

Key-word:  Witness.     Key-verse:   I.  8. 

This  book  is  the  Gospels  applied,  the 
Acts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Luke,  in  the 
Gospel,  told  what  Jesus  '' began]'  zxidi  here 
what  He  continued,  "  both  to  do  and  teach  " 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  through  disciples  build- 
ing up  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  Door  of 
Faith  is  opened  successively  to  Hebrew, 
Roman,  and  Greek,  as  in  the  order  of  the 
Gospels.  Pentecost  links  Old  Testament 
Prophecy  to  New  Testament  History. 
This  is  the  Book  of  Witness,  first  of  Man, 
secondly  of  God. 

This  is  the  sequel  to  the  Gospels,  the  basis  of 
the  Epistles ; — The  Acts,  not  of  the  Apostles, 
but  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  the  Risen  Re- 
deemer through  the  Promised  Paraclete.  The 
Holy  Ghost  applies  the  Truth  and  the  Blood  to 
penitent  believers  ;  then  anoints  them  for  service 
and  sends  them  forth  as  WITNESSES  to  preach 
the  kingdom,  to  make  disciples  and  to  organize 
tliem  into  churches.  The  author  is  Luke  :  the 
(104) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.,  105 

date  about  63  A.D.  (?),  the  time  covered,  about 
thirty-four  years. 

The  Introduction  refers  to  the  Forty  Days  of 
Communion  between  the  risen  Lord  and  His 
disciples,  which  had  a  fourfold  object  and  result. 
I.  To  put  His  Resurrection  beyond  doubt;  2. 
To  give  instruction  as  to  the  kingdom  of  God  ; 
3.  To  prepare  them  for  His  invisible  conduct  of 
the  Church ;  4.  To  inspire  true  missionary  zeal. 

Then  follow  the  outlines  of  Church  History. 
I.  The  witnessing  Church  in  Jerusalem^  i.  13 — 
vii. :  Ten  days  of  Prayer,  PENTECOST  and  Prep- 
aration for  Service,  Persecution  by  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees  scattering  disciples  abroad  ;  vol- 
untary community  of  goods ;  Division  of  Labor 
and  ordination  of  Deacons ;  the  first  martyr- 
dom. 2.  The  witnessing  Church  in  Judea  and 
Samaria,  viii. — ix.  A  Pentecost  in  Samaria 
under  Philip  the  Evangelist.  Simony  —  the 
Eunuch — Saul  of  Tarsus.  3.  The  witnessing 
Church  at  the  Ends  of  the  Earth.  A  Gentile 
Pentecost  at  Cesarea ;  at  Antioch,  the  centre 
of  the  Gentile  Church,  and  starting-point  of 
Foreign  Missions.  Paul's  three  missionary  jour- 
neys. The  Book  closes  with  Paul  at  Rojne,  the 
third  great  centre  of  Christianity.  Paul  is  more 
conspicuous  in  the  latter  part  of  this  book  than 
Peter,  because  Peter  went  to  the  Dispersion,  or 
Scattered  Tribes  of  Israel.     Gal.  ii.  9, 


THE  EPISTLES 

Form  the  "  Church-section  "  of  the  New 
Testament.  The  Church,  now  founded 
both  among  Jews  and  Gentiles,  needs  the 
Germs  of  Doctrine,  found  in  the  Gospels, 
amplified  a^id  applied,  for  fuller  instruction 
of  beHevers,  solution  of  practical  problems 
and  exposure  of  errors.  This  is  done  in 
the  twenty-one  Epistles. 

There  are  five  writers,  each  having  his  own 
sphere  of  truth.  Paul's  great  theme  is  FAITH, 
and  its  relations  to  justification,  sanctification, 
service,  joy,  and  glory,  yames  treats  of  WORKS, 
their  relation  to  Faith  as  its  justification  before 
man.  He  is  the  counterpart  and  complement 
of  Paul.  Peter  deals  with  HOPE,*  as  the  inspira- 
tion of  God's  pilgrim  people  in  the  temptations 
and  trials  of  the  wilderness.  Johns  theme  is 
LOVE,  and  its  relation  to  the  light  and  life  of 
God  as  manifested  in  the  believer.  In  his  Gos- 
pel, he  exhibits  eternal  life  in  Christ:  in  his 
Epistles,  eternal  life  as  seen  in  the  believer. 
Jude  sounds  the  trumpet  of  warning  against 
APOSTASY ;  which  implies  the  wreck  of  faith, 
the  delusion  of  false  hope,  love  ^own  cold,  and 
the  utter  decay  of  good  works, 
(io6) 


ROMANS. 

Key-word:  Righteousness.    Key-verse: 
I.  17. 

Paul  was  peculiarly  fitted  for  a  great 
work  among  the  Gentile  nations,  being  by 
birth  a  Hebrew,  by  citizenship  a  Roman, 
by  culture  a  Greek.  He  was  divinely 
chosen  to  lay  the  foundations  on  which  rests 
the  whole  scheme  of  Salvation.  Right- 
eousness or  Justification  is  his  theme.  God's 
Law  is  the  only  standard ;  God's  Right- 
eousness the  only  righteousness  :  by  sin  we 
have  incurred  condemnation ;  by  faith  we 
receive  justification.  All  have  sinned  and 
come  short ;  but  the  Righteousness  of  God 
by  faith  in  Christ,  becomes  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  believer. 

Fourteen  epistles  are  ascribed  to  Paul.  Those 
to  the  Thessalonians  belong  first  chronological- 
ly: this  to  the  Romans,  first  logically  and 
morally.  It  treats,  like  all  his  epistles,  of  Faith, 
but  here  faith  versus  law,  in  relation  to  Justifi- 
cation. It  resembles  that  to  the  "  Galatians." 
The  Roman  Church,  mainly  Jewish,  trained  in 
the  Levitical  code, — being  prone  to  rely  on  con- 

(107) 


I08  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

formity  to  Ritual  and  obedience  to  the  Moral 
Law,  and  being  in  the  Gentile  Capital  and 
Court  of  the  World-Kingdom, — the  argument 
must  be  framed  to  meet  all  false  reliance  on 
good  works ;  and  hence  Paul  begins  by  proving 
all  under  sin,  and  from  the  universality  of  Ruin, 
proceeds  to  the  one  way  of  Redemption  for  all. 

Rome  was  one  of  the  strategic  points.  "All 
roads  led  to  Rome."  This  Epistle  is  fullest,  most 
exhaustive  and  most  fundamental.  It  is  the 
open  door  to  the  treasuries  of  redemption.  It 
was  written  about  58  A.D.,  at  Corinth,  where  wis- 
dom was  the  pride  of  the  Greeks,  to  Rome 
where  law  was  the  boast ;  hence  the  fitness  of 
addressing  to  Roman  Christians  a  great  argu- 
ment on  Man's  position  under  the  Law  and 
Government  of  God.  The  whole  tone  of  the 
Epistle  is  forensic,  legal. 

The  emphatic  words  of  the  first  part  are  from 
one  root,  dini^ — diKaio^,  diKaiooo,  diuaiGojjLay 
diKaiGOffi^y  diKaioavvT],  diKaiOKpwia. 

Divisions,  mainly  three:  I.:  i. — viii.  Argu- 
ment. Salvation  by  Faith  in  Christ  alone.  The 
whole  world,  Gentiles  and  Jews,  condemned  and 
guilty  before  God.  Justification  provided  in 
Christ  whose  obedience  and  suffering  avail  the 
sinner  who  by  faith  is  identified  with  Him. 

II. :  ix. — xi.  Mutual  Relations  of  Jew  and 
Gentile  and  the  two  dispensations. 

III. :  xiii. — xvi.     Practical  duties,  etc. 


I.  CORINTHIANS. 

Key-word :  WISDOM.     Key-verse :  II.  7,  8. 

Corinth  was  the  rival  of  Athens.  The 
Greeks  were  proud  of  their  language  and 
literature,  learning  and  logic  ("  speech  "  and 
"wisdom").  Paul  prepares  these  Epistles 
to  meet  the  Greek  mind.  He  begins  by- 
renouncing  wisdom,  as  to  the  Romans 
he  renounced  power.  He  magnifies  the 
"  things  of  God,"  "  words  of  God,"  "demon- 
stration of  the  Spirit,"  etc.,  and  would  not 
use  wisdom  of  words  lest  the  Cross  be 
made  of  none  effect. 

This  Epistle  is  throughout  a  rebuke  to  the 
princes  of  this  world,  confident  in  their  worldly 
wisdom,  but  fools  in  God's  sight.  The  world 
by  wisdom  knew  not  God.  i.  21.  The  natural 
man  does  not,  cannot,  receive  the  things  of  the 
Spirit;  the  highest  truths  are  veiled  to  him. 
Worldly  wisdom  cannot  see  in  Christ  crucified 
the  Power  and  Wisdom  of  God.  Justification 
by  faith  alone  without  reference  to  human 
merit,  the  sin  of  unbelief.  Holy  living  by  the 
power  of  Grace,  Liberty  in  absolute  submission 

(109) 


no  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

to  God,  Prayer  as  an  influence  with  God,  Provi- 
dence even  in  chastening — these  are  mysteries 
even  to  the  sage.  But  all  are  revealed  to  be- 
lievers by  the  Spirit,     ii.  lo. 

The  deepest  of  all  these  mysteries  is  the  mys- 
tical union  betzveen  Christ  and  the  Church,  and 
this  is  the  key  to  the  main  divisions.  Factions 
in  the  Church  dishonor  it.  Impurity  is  destruc- 
tive of  it.  Marriage  illustrates  it  and  is  hal- 
lowed by  it.  Identification  with  idols  profanes 
it.  The  Lord's  Supper  expresses  and  emblemizes 
it.  Disorderly  Assemblies  disgrace  it.  The 
Resurrection  consummates  and  crowns  it.  By 
virtue  of  this  mystical  union,  the  body  of  the 
believer  becomes  the  Temple  of  God.  Sin  has 
defiled  us.  Deliverance  comes  only  through 
the  interpenetration  of  the  believer's  life  with 
the  divine  life,  in  this  union. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.  1-9.    Introduction. 

II.:  i.  10 — iv.  21.     Church  Factions. 

III. :  V.  I — vi.  20.     Church  Discipline. 

IV. :  vii.  1-40.     Marriage  and  Celibacy. 

v.:  viii.  i — xi.  i.     Meat  offered  to  Idols. 

VL :  xi.  2-34.  Abuses  in  Church  Assem- 
blies. 

VII.:  xii.  I — xiv.  40.  The  Gifts  of  the 
Spirit. 

VIII. :  XV.     Resurrection. 

IX. :  xvi.     Sundry  minor  matters. 


II.  CORINTHIANS. 

Key-ivord :  COMFORT.     Key-verse:  VII.  6,  7. 

Here  abound  the  Contrasts  of  Sorrow 
and  Joy,  of  humiliation  and  exaltation. 
Paul  had  been  sick  nigh  unto  death  and  been 
healed  ;  assailed  as  to  his  Apostleship  and 
favored  with  the  signs  of  an  Apostle  and 
even  a  rapture  to  the  Third  Heaven  ;  judged 
of  man,  vindicated  of  God ;  harassed  by 
the  thorn  in  the  flesh,  sustained  by  all- 
sufficient  grace.  The  key-note  of  the  clos- 
ing message,  as  of  the  opening  salutation,  is 
"  Comfortr  Love,  grieved  by  their  sins, 
was  comforted  by  their  repentance.  Cf. 
i.  3,  4 ;  ii.  4 ;  vii.  6,  7. 

Paul's  second  visit  to  Corinth  cost  him  much 
grief  and  humiliation.  He  found  and  rebuked 
sectarian  schisms ;  he  found  and  indignantly  de- 
nounced Judaizing  teachers ;  but  he  found  also 
what  most  of  all  grieved  him :  Heathen  Immor- 
ality. This  was  the  cause  of  the  pain,  and  the 
rumor  of  it  was,  perhaps,  the  occasion  of  the 
visit.     This  shocking  immorality  was  upheld  by 

(III) 


112 


KEYS    TO    rilE    WORD. 


an  antinomian  theory  as  to  sensuality.  He 
hesitated  how  to  treat  the  evil:  whether  with 
mild  or  severe  measures,  iv.  21.  The  visit  failed 
to  attain  its  object,  and  the  heathen  vice  rather 
increased. 

Judaism  had  developed  into  a  more  organic 
form,  and  taken  an  attitude  of  more  open, 
malignant  hostility  toward  Paul.  Impostors 
seem  to  have  appeared,  bearing  letters  of  com- 
mendation from  the  mother  church  at  Jerusa- 
lem (iii.  1-6,  xi.),  and  to  have  derided  both  the 
Corinthian  converts  for  their  dissoluteness,  and 
the  Apostle  for  his  incompetency  to  deal  with 
it.  They  denied  his  apostleship,  and  met  his 
gospel  of  a  Christ  after  the  Spirit^  the  Son  of 
God  with  another  gospel  of  a  Christ  after  the 
flesh,  the  Son  of  David ;  they  obscured  faith,  and 
insisted  on  obedience  to  the  Mosaic  law.  Both 
Epistles  seem  written  in  the  same  year,  6^  A.D. 

The  most  complete  argument  on  giving  may 
be  found  in  chapters  viii. — ix. 


GALATIANS. 

Key-word:  Faith.     Key-verse :   III.  1 1. 

This  Epistle  was  written  to  set  forth 
Grace  in  contrast  to  Law,  and  Faith  in 
contrast  to  Works.  Here  for  a  second  time 
we  find  the  great  centre  of  Paul's  doctrinal 
system :  "  The  Jttst  shall  live  by  Faith," 
with  Faith  now  the  emphatic  word.  The 
Epistle  is  full  of  contrasts :  the  Flesh  and 
its  works,  the  Spirit  and  His  fruits ;  Cir- 
cumcision and  New  Creation;  the  World 
and  the  Cross. 

Paul  first  preached  in  Galatia ;  on  his  second 
visit  three  years  later,  he  found  a  party  had 
taught  a  mischievous  legalism,  and  this  false 
doctrine  he  vigorously  attacks.  After  a  vindi- 
cation of  his  Apostolate,  as  having  the  seal  of 
God  and  the  recognition  of  those  who  were 
Pillars  in  the  Church,  he  enters  at  once  upon  his 
argument,  ii.  15.  From  first  to  last  Faith  is  the 
condition  of  Justification,  and  even  faith  is  of 
grace.  He  warns  against  a  relapse  into  the  bond- 
age of  legalism,  as  a  reversal  of  the  Gospel. 

8  (113) 


114 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


False  teachers  had  perverted  the  Old  Testa- 
ment to  uphold  legalism.  He  shows  its  true 
teaching.  To  Abraham  grace  was  revealed  and 
faith  was  counted  for  righteousness.  The  law 
cannot  justify;  it  condemns;  it  is  preparatory 
to  Grace, — our  pedagogue  to  lead  to  Christ.  The 
Law  dealt  in  outward  ordinances,  such  as  cir- 
cumcision and  Levitical  ceremonies;  and  had  an 
outward  Temple  with  its  ritual,  fasts,  feasts,  and 
festivals.  In  Christ  we  pass  from  children  to 
sons,  from  minority  to  majority,  from  bondage 
to  liberty  in  conscious  sonship  and  heirship. 

But  liberty  is  not  license.  Faith  has  its  fruit 
in  works  of  Love.  The  flesh  and  the  spirit  are 
each  manifested  by  the  life.  The  Cross  which 
is  the  hope  of  Justification  is  the  pledge  of 
sanctification.  The  law  of  salvation  is  the  same, 
both  from  the  penalty  and  from  the  power  of 
sin.  Those  who  find  antagonism  between  the 
Epistles  of  Paul  and  James^  should  study  this, 
*'  to  the  Galatians." 

Divisions  :  threefold,  each  of  two  chapters 
L  Paul's  Apostolate  ;  Salvation  by  Grace. 
IL  The  Bondage  of  Law. 
in.  The  Liberty  of  Sons. 


EPHESIANS. 

Rey-words :    In  CHRIST,  One.    Key-verse:  I.  3. 

In  this  Epic  of  the  New  Testament  is 
first  clearly  brought  out  Identification  ivith 
Christ.  The  Believer  is  in  and  zvith  Christ. 
Comp.  I  Cor.  iii.  21.  The  Church,  as  the 
Btnlding  of  which  He  is  corner-stone,  the 
Body  of  which  He  is  Head,  the  Bride  of 
whom  He  is  Bridegroom,  is  One  with  Him 
and  inseparable  from  Him.  The  Saints  are 
exhorted  to  such  a  life  as  consists  with  this 
high  calHng,  and  the  "  Mystery"  is  specially 
magnified,  of  the  Incorporation  of  the  Gen- 
tiles  into  this  sacred  Unity, 

Note  the  progress  of  doctrine^  in  the  develop- 
ment of  this  idea  of  the  believer's  oneness  with 
Christ,  Matt.  i.  23.  "  Emmanuel :  God  with  us." 
Matt.  X.  40;  XXV.  35.  Acts  ix.  4.  Then  note  the 
progress  oi  Figurative  expression.  John  x.  1-29. 
Sheep  and  Shepherd;  xv.  1-8.  Vine  and  Branches; 
now  in  Ephesians,  ii.  20-22.  Building  or  Tem- 
ple ;  iv.  12-16.  Body -AXiA  Members  ;  v.  32.  Bride 
and  Bridegroom,  most  sacred  union  known  to 
man.     Again,  this    union    is    asserted    in    most 

(115) 


Il6  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

positive  terms,  unveiled  by  symbol  or  figure. 
Jno.  X.  14,  15  (Revision);  xvi.  26,  27;  xvii.  21, 
22,  23,  26.  In  this  Epistle  the  practical  phases 
of  this  truth  are  set  forth.  Christ's  life  is  rep- 
resentative and  typical:  In  Him  the  believer 
has  his  true  probation,  justification,  sanctifica- 
tion  ;  In  Him  is  born  from  above,  circumcised, 
baptized,  anointed ;  is  dead,  buried,  risen,  and 
prospectively  glorified.     Cf.  i  Jno.  iv.  17. 

Paul  resided  at  Ephesus  three  years,  and  fully 
preached  the  Gospel  there.  Acts  xix.  8,  10 ; 
XX.  31  ;  Rev.  ii.  1-7.  There  were  Satan's  camp 
and  court,  Diana's  Temple,  Demetrius  and  the 
Silver  Shrines,  Magical  Books,  etc. 

The  theme  of  the  Epistle  is  electing  grace : 
Christ  in  the  flesh  dying,  reconciling  God  and 
man,  also  man  and  man  ;  the  mystery,  glory, 
blessedness  of  the  Church  as  His  Body  and 
Bride,  In  Him  we  are  and  have  all.  The 
Epistle  reaches  the  summit  of  sublimity  of  rev- 
elations;  it  is  Paul's  third  heaven  epistle.  In  it 
he  soars  from  the  depths  of  ruin  to  the  heights 
of  redemption,  see  key-verse;  bv  roi^  enovpayoi  ^ 
sv  'KpiGxcsd. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.— iv.  16.  Origin,  Institu. 
tion,  Purpose,  of  Christ's  Universal  Church. 

II.:  iv.  17 — vi.  10,  Ethical  Duties:  Truth, 
Purity,  Love,  Marriage,  Service. 

III. :  vi.  10-24.  Concluding  Exhortation. 
Panoply  of  God,  etc. 


PHILIPPIANS. 

Key-word:  Gain.    Key-verse :  III.  7,  14  ;  IV.  4. 

Tins  Epistle  is  the  disciple's  Balance- 
sheet,  Paul  puts  on  one  side  all  that  was 
gain  to  him,  and  which  he  counted  loss  for 
Christ.  Then  he  puts  on  the  other  side  all 
that  he  won  by  the  surrender,  and  will  yet 
know  and  attain,  and  he  finds  himself  infi- 
nitely richer.  He  forgets  all  he  has  for- 
saken, and  presses  on  for  the  prize.  "  To 
live  is  Christ ;  to  die  is  gainj'  Cf.  i.  2 1  ; 
iii.  7,  14. 

This  is  simply  a  letter  to  the  church  at  Phi- 
lippi,  founded  by  Paul  and  linked  with  Lydia 
and  the  Jailer.  No  doctrinal  or  practical  error 
is  rebuked.  But  the  Apostle  shows  the  Renun- 
ciMioris  and  Compensations  of  a  disciple,  and  the 
infinite  excess  in  his  favor.  His  key-note  is 
"  Rejoice  in  the  Lord  alway,  and  again  I  say,  Re- 
joice !  "  Some  twenty  times  in  the  Epistle  he 
uses  the  words,  "joy,"  "  rejoice,"  "  peace,"  "  con- 
tent," etc.    The  Cross  is  forgotten  in  the  Crown 

(T17) 


Il8  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

which  is  anticipated  even  in  his  earthly  experi- 
ence. 

The  supreme  idea  of  the  Epistle  is  Gain. 
His  zealous  love  for  Philippian  Christians  brings 
gain  to  him,  for  it  makes  him  magnanimously 
forget  his  bonds.  The  supremacy  of  Christ  in 
his  heart  brings  gain,  for  it  helps  him  to  rejoice 
whenever  and  by  whomsoever  Christ  is  preach- 
ed, and  turns  all  self-denial  into  abounding  joy  ; 
it  transforms  a  life  of  privation  into  privilege, 
and  death  into  gain.  He  rejoices  in  Heavenly 
Citizenship  (iii.  20,  Greek),  and  in  having  the 
Mind  of  Christ.  He  shows  how  there  is  the 
Gain  also  of  constant  Christian  Progress ;  and 
the  Goal  of  all,  the  highest  gain,  is  the  Out-Resur- 
rection from  among  the  dead  {^B,avaaraaiZ^ 

The  Epistle  was  written  from  Rome  to  Philip- 
pi,  a  colony  (Acts  xvi.  12),  about  A.D.  63. 

Divisions:  I. :  i.  1-26.  Paul's  Love  and 
Joy. 

n. :  i.  27 — ii.  30.  The  Heavenly  Citizen  and 
his  Privileges. 

HI. :  iii.    Christian  Progress. 

IV. :  iv.    Six  Practical  Exhortations. 


COLOSSIANS. 

Key-word:  In  Christ,  Complete.  Key-verse : 
II.  lO. 

This  Epistle  shows  the  Saints,  in  Christ 
Jesus,  complete,  and  their  standing  and 
privilege,  rights  and  riches,  in  Ht77t.  First 
the  Deity  of  Christ  as  the  Image  of  God 
is  set  forth ;  then  his  Dignity  as  Head  of 
the  Body,  and  His  Identity  with  the  Church  ; 
then,  the  consequent  Dignity  of  the 
Church,  and  Identity  with  Him  and  in  Him 
with  the  Father.  Pre-eminence  is  His,  the 
true  Pleroma  or  Plenitude  of  Being,  and 
of  this  Pleroma  all  saints  in  Him  partake. 

Colosse  was  a  town  of  Phrygia,  near  Laodi- 
cea  ;  the  church  was  neither  founded  nor  visited 
by  Paul.  Epaphras,  a  Colossian,  reported  the 
condition  of  the  church  to  Paul  during  his  first 
imprisonment  in  Rome,  and  Paul  wrote  to  Co- 
losse A.D.  63. 

This  Epistle  is  the  companion  to  that  to  the 
EpJiesians.     In  both,  the  theme  is  the  Saints  in 

(119) 


I20  KEYS    TO    THE    IVORD. 

Christ  Jesus :  in  Ephesians,  they  are  seen  to  be 
One  in  Him;  in  Colossians,  complete  in  Him, 
But  in  both  Epistles  the  same  lofty  themes  are 
treated :  The  Mystery  of  God,  Headship  of 
Christ,  the  Old  and  New  Man,  etc. 

This  Epistle  is  marked  by  its  Christology, 
Its  tone  is  polemic :  combating  a  semi-Jewish 
Mysticism,  a  false  Asceticism ;  a  Gnosticism  with 
a  false  Cosmogony,  Adoration  of  Angels,  and 
misleading  Wisdom.  There  was  an  early  con- 
troversy about  the  Pleroma,  or  Fulness  of  Being 
and  source  of  all  other  Life.  Here  this  Pleroma 
is  claimed  for  Christ  pre-eminently,  and  in  Him 
for  all  saints,  as  members  of  the  Body  of  which 
He  is  the  Head.  It  im'^Wes  fzilness  of  knowl- 
edge {eTtiyvGoGi?,  i.  9),  of  life,  of  spiritual  state 
and  standing,  and  resurrection  glory,  etc. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.  1-12.  Opening  Salutation 
and  Prayer. 

II.:  i.  13 — ii.  5.  The  Doctrine  of  the  Epistle: 
The  Saints  in  Christ. 

III.  :  ii.  6 — iv.  6.  Practical  Exhortations 
based  on  this  Doctrinal  Teaching. 

IV.:  iv.  7-18.     Closing  Salutations. 


I.  II.  THESSALONIANS. 

Key-word :  Waiting.  Key-verse :  i  Thess.  I.  lo; 
2  Thess.  III.  5. 

These  two  Epistles  both  treat  of  the 
Second  Coming  of  our  Lord,  its  antece- 
dent and  consequent  events.  They  rebuke 
Thessalonian  Materialism,  which  inscribed 
on  tombs,  "  Death  is  an  Eternal  Sleep  ";  * 
they  correct  mistakes  as  to  the  dead  saints, 
and  the  Man  of  Sin.  Two  aspects  of 
Christ's  Second  Advent  are  here  plainly 
presented :  in  the  first.  He  comes  with  the 
trump  of  God  to  raise  the  dead  in  Christ 
and  catch  up  the  living  saints ;  in  the  sec- 
ond, He  comes  with  His  mighty  angels, 
taking  vengeance  on  His  foes. 

Thessalonica  was  a  historic  city.  In  the  first 
century  the  most  populous  in  Macedonia  ;  be- 

*  Literally  :  "After  Death  no  reviving. 
After  Grave  no  meeting." 
(121) 


122  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

fore  the  founding  of  Constantinople,  virtual 
metropolis  of  Greece  and  Illyricum  ;  it  is  even 
now  the  second  city  of  European  Turkey.  It 
was  one  of  the  starting-points  of  the  Gospel, 
and  as  such  became  more  conspicuous  than 
Antioch.  The  third  century  was  its  heroic  age, 
and  it  was  the  mediaeval  Bulwark  of  the  Faith. 

Greece  was  at  this  time  in  two  provinces, 
Macedo7iia  and  AcJiaia ;  of  the  former,  Thessa- 
lonica  was  the  capital  ;  of  the  latter,  Corijith. 
Thessalonica  was  an  influential  centre,  having  a 
fine  harbor,  and  connected  with  Asia,  eastward, 
and  the  Adriatic  and  Italy,  westward.  Paul 
first  preached  there  on  his  tour  into  Greece  in 
his  second  missionary  journey,  but  was  driven 
out,  and  went  to  Berea,  etc. 

Both  Epistles  are  dogmatic — they  present  the 
true  faith  in  opposition  to  doctrinal  and  practi- 
cal error.  In  the  first  Epistle,  he  commends  the 
Thessalonians  for  an  example  that  was  itself  the 
highest  evidence  of  Christianity,  refers  to  his 
own  apostolic  authority  and  affection,  afifirms 
Christ's  death,  resurrection,  and  second  advent ; 
the  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  in  Christ,  etc.  In 
the  second,  he  shows  that  the  Parousia  of  the 
man  of  sin  must  precede  the  Epiphany  of  the 
Parousia  of  Christ,  which  is  the  signal  for  his 
complete  overthrow.     2  Thess.  ii.  8. 

In  no  epistles  is  the  Lord's  Coini?ig  so  con- 
spicuous,  as   the    object   of  the    "  Patience   of 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


123 


Hope."  Saints  are  to  be  in  the  constant  atti- 
tude of  watching  and  waiting  for  an  event  al- 
ways wiminent — i.  e.  liable  to  occur  at  any  time, 
certain  at  some  time.  Hence  saints  are  *' to 
wait  for  His  Son  from  Heaven  "  (i.  10)  as  those 
*^  called  to  His  kingdom  and  glory"  (ii.  12),  and 
who  are  to  be  the  glory  and  joy  of  the  apostle, 
at  His  Coming  (ii.  19).  They  to  be  unblame- 
able  in  holiness,  at  His  coming  with  all  His 
saints  (iii.  13).  They  are  not  to  sorrow,  as  others 
who  have  no  hope,  for  the  dead  in  Christ,  who 
sleep  in  Jesus  and  are  to  come  with  Him,  iv.  14, 
etc.  The  two  Epistles  contain  twenty  distinct 
references  to  the  Second  Coming,  which  is  used 
as  a  comfort  in  bereavement,  a  motive  to 
patience,  an  inspiration  to  hope,  a  security  in 
temptation,  a  help  to  purity,  a  ground  of  re- 
joicing, a  separating,  sanctifying  Power. 

Divisions  :  In  the  first  Epistle,  the  first 
three  chapters  are  personal  and  historical  ;  the 
last  two,  didactic  and  hortatory. 

In  the  second,  the  first  chapter  presents  con- 
solation under  persecution  ;  the  second  (1-12), 
the  consummation  of  evil,  and  at  verse  13,  be- 
gin the  closing  exhortations. 


I.  II.  TIMOTHY. 

Key-word :  Doctrine.   Key-verse :  i  Tim.  III.  9 ; 
2  Tim.  I.  13. 

The  Epistles  to  Timothy,  like  that  to 
Titus,  are  0,2^^6.  pastoral  because  addressed 
to  individuals  in  charge  of  the  flock.  The 
object  of  these  two  Epistles  is  to  leave  a 
legacy  of  Apostolic  warning  and  counsel 
for  the  direction  and  comfort  of  the  Church. 
To  Timothy  Paul  sustained  peculiar  rela- 
tions, as  to  his  son  in  the  faith,  and  in  these 
letters  he  makes  very  emphatic  the  need  of 
sound  doctrine. 

The  special  error  herein  attacked  is  the 
Gnostic  Heresy ;  and  six  features  of  this  false 
doctrine  are  here  prominent:  i.  The  claim  to 
superior  knowledge,  insight,  illumination  {yvooai^^ 
ETtiyvoDaii),  2.  A  spurious  theory  of  religion, 
with  profitless  and  barren  speculation.  3.  A 
practical  lawlessness,  cauterizing  the  conscience 
as  with  a  hot  iron.  4.  An  allegorical  iriterpre- 
tation  o{  Scripture,  explaining  awav  the  resur- 
(124) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.  125 

rection,  etc.  5.  An  empty  form  of  godliness^ 
in  which  words  took  the  place  of  works.  6.  A 
compromise  between  God  and  Mammon,  reducing 
godh'ness  to  a  matter  of  trade  or  worldly  gain. 
7.  Withal,  a  pretence  of  superior  sanctity^  that 
licensed  even  flagrant  sins  by  profession  of  a 
pure  motive. 

The  moral  guilt  of  heresy  is  here  emphasized, 
and  the  necessity  of  shunning  vain  speculation, 
that  substitutes  fables  for  facts,  and  strifes  of 
words  for  holy  works.  Doctrine  is  uniformly  asso 
ciated  with  spiritual  health  and  vigorous  activity. 
Cf.  vyiaivovaa  didaaxaXia,  vyiaivovre?  Xoyoi, 
vytTji  Xoyo^.  i  Tim.  i.  10;  vi.  3.  2  Tim.  i.  13; 
iv.  3.     Cf.  Titus  i.  9,  13  ;  ii.  i,  2,  8. 

These  Epistles  are  associated  with  Paul's  im- 
prisonment at  Rome.  He  dwelt  two  years  in 
his  own  hired  house,  till  the  spring  of  A.D.  6^. 
In  July,  64,  there  was  a  seven-days*  fire  at 
Rome,  that  burned  ten  of  the  fourteen  regiones 
of  the  capital.  Nero,  to  divert  suspicion  from 
himself,  charged  it  on  Christians.  Paul  was  in 
prison  for  two  years,  then  liberated,  and  jour- 
neyed perhaps  to  Spain  and  Britain.  In  his 
second  incarceration  he  was  treated  with  greater 
severity,  persecution  being  then  begun.  During 
this  second  imprisonment,  Paul  wrote  this  second 
Epistle,  which  was  also  his  last ;  and  suffered 
martyrdom  some  time  previous  to  Nero's  death, 
which  was  in  June,  (>%  A.D. 


126  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

Paul,  like  his  Master,  bore  the  burden  of 
loneliness  and  consciousness  of  approaching 
martyrdom,  but  like  his  Master  he  forgot  him- 
self, and  urged  Timothy  to  the  diligent  use  of 
the  gift  of  God.  He  foresaw  coming  apostasy, 
and  false  teachers ;  but  he  encouraged  him  by 
four  grand  motives  :  i.  The  verity  and  certain- 
ty of  sound  doctrine.  2.  The  mutual  Testi- 
mony of  Christ  and  the  Scriptures.  3.  The 
approval  of  the  Master.  4.  The  coming  Epiph- 
any of  Christ  and  the  Day  of  Award. 


TITUS. 

Key-word:  PROFITABLE.     Key-verse:    III.  8,  9. 

This  letter  is  official  rather  than  personal. 
It  is  addressed  to  an  uncircumcised  Greek, 
of  all  the  fellow-workers  of  Paul,  least  a 
Jew  in  character  and  sympathy.  The  fidel- 
ity and  sagacity  of  Titus  led  Paul  to  trust 
him  with  special  missions,  and  to  leave  him 
in  Crete  as  his  own  representative,  to  com- 
plete the  organization  of  Churches.  Short 
and  practical,  this  Epistle  embodies  two 
rich  and  comprehensive  outlines  of  Salva- 
tion by  Grace  :  ii.  11-14;  iii.  4-8. 

This  Epistle  is  mainly  occupied  with  Church 
order,  ordination,  and  orga7iization.  Instructions 
are  given  as  to  primitive  Episcopal  superintend- 
ence. Presbyters  and  bishops  are  used  as 
equivalent  terms ;  and  their  qualifications  are 
indicated,  particularly  a  godly  self-control  and 
household  rule,  unblemished  character,  untar- 
nished reputation,  soundness  of  doctrine,  and 
aptness  in  teaching. 

(127) 


128  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

Exhortations  are  addressed  to  various  classes 
in  the  Church.  Even  slaves  are  taught  that 
they  may  adorn  {kogiaooGiv)  the  doctrine  of 
God  our  Saviour  in  all  things.  All  disciples 
may  be  not  only  epistles,  but  illustrated  and 
illuminated  epistles  of  grace,  and  all  this,  even 
among  the  Cretians,  who  are  described  2iS  false, 
fierce,  gluttonous,  i.  12.  The  Gospel  that  can 
transform  them  even  into  blameless  bishops, 
and  make  even  their  slaves  an  ornament  to  the 
truth,  must  be  profitable  indeed. 

The  passage  ii.  11-14  is  one  of  the  "  loca 
classica  "  of  Scripture.  It  covers  past  redemp- 
tion, present  duty,  future  glory.  It  is  a  table  of 
contents  to  the  entire  New  Testament :  the 
Epiphany  of  Grace  well  describes  the  Gospels 
and  Acts ;  the  instructions  in  holy  living,  the 
Epistles;  and  the  expectation  of  the  coming  of 
the  Lord,  the  Apocalypse. 

Divisions  :  These  mainly  follow  the  chapters. 
The  first  is  mainly  occupied  with  the  qualifica- 
tions of  a  bishop  or  elder  ;  the  second,  with  the 
need  of  sound  doctrine;  and  the  third,  with  the 
need  of  good  works. 


PHILEMON. 

Key-word:    Receive  (Intercession).     Key- 
verse  :   17. 

If  "  Ephesians  is  the  Lyric,"  Philemon  is 
"the  Idyl  of  the  New  Testament,"  com- 
bining beauty  with  brevity.  Onesimus  was 
a  slave  who  had  stolen,  and  then  run  away, 
from  Philemon.  Converted,  baptized,  cher- 
ished by  Paul,  he  was  by  him  sent  back  to 
his  master,  whom  the  Apostle  besought  to 
receive  him  no  longer  as  a  slave  but  a 
brother,  and  to  put  to  Paul's  account  any 
wrong  he  had  done  him  as  master. 

Philemon  seems  to  have  been  affluent  in 
circumstances,  and  hospitable  toward  saints. 
Onesimus  m^dins  profitable.  Paul  plays  on  the 
name,  acknowledging  that  he  had  been  very 
unprofitable,  but  was  now  profitable  to  them 
both,  as  a  renewed  man,  and  had,  by  minister- 
ing to  Paul  in  his  bonds,  endeared  himself  to 
him  so  as  to  become  as  his  own  vital  organs. 
He  therefore  becomes  intercessor  for  the  slave 
and  thief,  and  beseeches  Philemon  for  his  sake 
9  (129) 


I30  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

to  receive  him,  counting  him  no  longer  either  a 
bondservant  or  a  transgressor ;  and  the  Epistle 
is  especially  rich  in  expressions  of  PaiiVs  identi- 
fication with  this  converted  slave,  who  was  to 
him,  his  son,  his  own  bowels,  his  brother  be- 
loved, his  second  self. 

No  epistle  is  richer  in  typical  teaching.  We 
have  here  in  profile  an  illustration  of  the  zvhole 
scheme  of  redemption.  "  I  BESEECH  THEE  RE- 
CEIVE HIM."  Roman  Law  gave  the  slave  no 
right  of  asylum,  but  conceded  one  right,  that 
of  appeal.  He  might  flee  to  his  master's  friend, 
not  for  concealment  but  for  intercession.  The 
owner  was  absolute,  but  might  be  besought 
through  a  friend  whom  he  counted  as  2.  partner y 
and  the  slave  who  fled  thus  to  an  intercessor 
did  not  incur  the  guilt  and  penalty  of  a  fugitive. 
Again,  the  Roman  Law  provided  for  a  slave's 
manumission :  he  might  be  adopted  by  his 
master  as  a  son  and  so  be  f'-eed.  This  short 
Epistle  is  full  of  references  to  these  facts  which 
conditioned  Roman  slaves. 

The  illustration  becomes  almost  an  analogy 
when  applied  to  the  sinner.  He  is  God's  prop- 
erty, but  he  has  not  only  run  away  from  his 
Master,  but  robbed  Him.  The  Law  affords  him 
no  right  of  asylum,  but  grace  concedes  him  the 
right  of  appeal.  He  flees  for  refuge  to  Jesus, 
whom  God  counts  a  partner.  In  Him  he  is  be- 
gotten anew  as   a  son,  and  finds  both  prccator, 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


131 


an  intercessor,  and  ^^/^zVtpr,  a  begetting  father; 
from  Him  he  returns  to  God,  and  is  received 
not  as  a  runaway  slave  and  thief,  but  as  a 
brother  beloved,  as  Christ  himself,  and  all  the 
debt  that  he  owes  to  God  is  put  to  Christ's  ac- 
count. Here  is  both  intercession  and  manu- 
mission. 

Divisions  :  I. :    Salutation  and  Prelude.   1-7. 

II.  :  Request  and  its  basis.     8-17. 

III.  :  The  Settlement  and  Signature.     18,  19. 
IV. :  Epilogue. 


HEBREWS. 

Key-word:  Better.     Key-verse:  XI.  40. 

This  Epistle  to  Hebrew  disciples  is 
attributed  to  Paul.  They  were  in  danger 
of  going  back  to  Judaism,  and  he  seeks  to 
prevent  this  by  showing  that  in  every  re- 
spect the  Christian  faith  and  Church  mark 
a  great  advance  upon  the  Jewish.  The  Epis- 
tle adapts  itself  especially  to  a  period  of  per- 
secution, and  exhorts  and  encourages  these 
Jewish  converts  to  let  go  everything  else,  but 
hold  fast  the  faith  and  hope  of  the  Gospel. 

Remarkable  unity  characterizes  this  Epistle. 
Its  one  idea  is  to  restrain  Hebrew  Christians 
from  abandoning  their  new  faith.  Judaism,  per- 
fect as  it  seemed  in  its  time  and  for  its  purpose, 
is  superseded  by  a  greater  and  better  system. 
The  argument  branches  into  tJiree  divisions : 
Christ  is  superior — i.  To  angels  employed  at  Si- 
nai, as  messengers.  2.  To  Moses,  the  greatest 
of  human  mediators,  legislators,  and  leaders.  3. 
To  Aaron,  with  the  whole  economy  of  priest- 
hood, temple,  and  offerings.  Christ  was  made 
(132) 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD.  133 

lower  than  the  angels,  in  order  to  die ;  but  by 
resurrection  exalted  again  higher  \.\\d.xv  they  who 
are  but  messengers  to  do  His  will,  and  minister 
to  heirs  of  salvation  while  He  sits  on  the  very 
throne  of  God.  Christ  was  far  superior  to 
Moses,  who  was  but  a  servant,  while  He  is  the 
Son  and  Heir;  and  so,  to  Aaron  and  his  fellow- 
priests  who  were  sinners,  were  many,  and  served 
but  for  a  time,  and  needed  to  make  new  offer- 
ings and  sacrifices  every  year,  since  He  is  sin- 
less, abides  a  priest  only  and  continually,  and 
once  for  all  obtained  eternal  redemption.  Christ 
ministers  in  a  higher  sanctuary,  offers  a  better 
sacrifice. 

The  word  Better  occurs  thirteen  times  in  this 
Epistle :  Christ,  the  better  hope,  the  better 
substance,  the  better  country,  the  better  cove- 
nant and  promises,  sacrifices,  resurrection,  etc. 
The  idea  permeates  the  whole  Epistle,  and  gives 
great  force  to  the  concluding  exhortation  to  hold 
fast  (x.  23),  and  to  the  awful  warning  as  to  the  ter- 
rible results  of  apostasy,  or  drawing  back  (x.  32- 
39). 

Divisions:  I.:  i.— x.  i8.  The  Grand  ^r^?^- 
ment. 

n. :  x.  19 — xiii.  25.  Practical  Exhortations 
and  Admonitions, 


JAMES. 

Key-word:  WORKS.    Key-verse :    II.  26. 

This  is  the  Epistle  of  Holy  Living, 
Great  stress  is  laid  upon  works,  not  apart 
from  faith,  but  as  both  the  proof  and  fruit 
of  faith.  It  opposes  Antinomianism.  There 
is  a  morality-side  to  the  Gospel.  The  dis- 
ciple is  under  Law  though  justified  by  faith. 
Obedience  is  his  watchword,  the  Obedience 
of  Faith.  Where  grace  inwardly  dwells, 
there  will  be  a  Temple  purified  from  all 
uncleanness. 

The  author  was  doubtless  James,  Bishop  of 
the  Church  at  Jerusalem,  who  seems  to  have 
been  an  ascetic  if  not  a  Nazarite.  He  was  dis- 
tinguished for  practical  piety;  his  knees  were 
said  to  be  callous  from  constant  intercession  for 
the  sins  of  the  people ;  and  he  has  received  the 
title,  not  only  of  o  8inaio<^^  the  Just  one,  but 
ClftXiai,  Bulwark  of  the  People. 

This  Epistle  is  addressed  to  the  Twelve  Tribes 
of  the  Dispersion.  It  has  an  air  of  patriarchal 
authority,  as  from  the  Father  of  the  Church  at 
(134) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD.  135 

Jerusalem.  It  is  in  tone  of  thought,  feeling, 
and  language,  thoroughly  Hebrew. 

More  than  any  other  Epistle  it  deals  with  the 
external  life.  The  word  of  God  is  a  mirroj-  to 
show  us  what  manner  of  man  we  are,  and  to  in- 
fluence character  and  conduct.  The  only  true 
hearer  of  the  word  is  the  doer  of  the  work. 
Life  is  a  scene  of  temptation,  demanding  strug- 
gle and  heroic  endurance.  Business  plans  are 
to  be  but  the  practical  carrying  out  of  God's 
will, — a  vocation,  not  an  avocation.  We  are  to 
exhibit  an  unworldly  type  of  character,  avoiding 
not  only  intimate  friendship,  but  contaminating 
contact,  with  the  world.  On  the  other  hand, 
we  are  to  cultivate  Christian  fellowship — dis- 
countenancing caste.,  restraining  the  tongue. 
Every  true  inward  grace  bears  outward  fruits: 
the  wisdom  from  above.  Faith,  the  Royal  Law 
of  Love ;  even  Prayer  is  energetic — it  works 
results.  Pure  religion  {OprfffJina,  religious  ob- 
servance, worship,  ritual)  is  to  visit  the  father- 
less and  widows,  etc. 

Paul  and  James  do  not  conflict.  They  stand 
not  face  to  face,  beating  each  other,  but  back  to 
back,  beating  off  common  foes. 


I.  II.   PETER. 

Key-word:  "  PRECIOUS."  Key-text:  i  Pet.  II.  7.-^ 

These  Epistles  were  addressed  "  to  the 
Elect  Pilgrims  of  the  Dispersion,"  i.  e.  not 
to  the  Gentile  churches,  nor  to  the  Pie- 
brews  who  still  clung  to  the  Holy  City  and 
its  Temple  ;  but  to  those  who  had  renounced 
Judaism  for  Christ  and  the  earthly  Canaan 
for  the  Paradise  on  high.  Paul  went  to  the 
Gentiles  westward,  Peter  to  the  scattered 
tribes  eastward.  See  Gal.  ii.  9.  These 
letters  are  meant  to  comfort  these  Hebrew 
converts  under  the  approach  or  outburst  of 
persecutions,  help  them  to  a  godly  life  in 
this  trial  and  test  of  faith  among  evil  men, 
and  exhibit  the  government  of  God  to- 
ward them  and  over  the  world. 

Peter  is  the  Apostle  of  Hope,  as  Paul  is  of 
Faith,  John,  of  Love,  and  James,  of  Action. 
The   first    Epistle  was  written   from    Babylon 

(v.  13). 

Seven  "  precious "  things  are  presented  in 
these    Epistles :    viz. :    The   trial    of  faith,  the 

*  Literally  :  "  He  \?  the  Preciousness  I " 
(136^ 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


13; 


blood, the  Living  Stone,  Christ  himself,  the  faith, 
the  promises,  the  meek  and  quiet  spirit.  Compare 
I  Pet.  i.  7,  19 ;  ii.  4,  6,  7  ;  iii.  4 ;  2  Pet.  i.  I,  4. 
The  central  passage  of  the  seven  is  i  Pet.  ii.  7, 
the  key  of  the  whole  Epistle.  These  Epistles 
closely  resemble  "  Hebrews  "  and  "Jude." 

The  line  of  thought  is  as  follows :  The  posi- 
tion of  the  Christian  believer  is  first  contrasted 
with  that  of  the  Judaist.  Israel's  rejected  Mes- 
siah is  then  shown  to  be  the  Headstone  of  the 
Corner,  and  the  Elect  of  God  to  be  the  true 
heirs  of  hope.  Then  the  disciple  is  viewed  in 
his  service  and  suffering  as  under  God's  provi- 
dential and  gracious  care  ;  Christ  is  set  forth  as 
an  example ;  His  vicarious  death,  our  salvation. 
God  is  judge,  and  will  begin  with  His  own  nomi- 
nal''House." 

Important  thoughts :  Pilgrimage ;  the  dis- 
ciple is  at  once  a  pilgrim,  stranger  and  sojourner. 
Comp.  Heb.  xi.  13-16.  The  Christian  s  place  in 
this  world,  as  in  Paul's  Epistles  ;  the  Christian's 
place  on  high  and  in  the  world  to  come. 

The  second  Epistle  was  written  in  expecta- 
tion of  shortly  "putting  off  his  tabernacle." 
Peter  is  said  to  have  been  crucified,  and  at  his 
own  request  with  head  downwards.  Peter 
sketches  the  iniquity,  as  Jude  does  the  apostasy, 
of  the  "  last  days."  Here  the  government  of 
God  over  the  world  is  more  prominent,  and  His 
final  judgment  of  this  world. 


I.  JOHN. 

Key-word:   FELLOWSHIP.     Key-verse :  V.  13. 

This  is  a  general  epistle,  not  to  any  local 
church,  drawing  no  line  between  Jew  and 
Gentile  ;  written  about  90  a.d.,  John  being 
the  only  surviving  Apostle.  Its  tone  is 
patei^nal,  both  in  authority  and  affection  ; 
and  prophetic,  having  an  air  of  final  de- 
cision and  declaration.  Its  thoughts  clus- 
ter about  three  grand  centres  :  Light,  Love, 
and  Life.  Its  object  is  that  believers  may 
"  know  that  they  have  eternal  life,  and  so 
their  joy  may  be  full."     i.  4  ;  v.  13. 

The  book  shows  John's  mental  habit,  con- 
templative rather  than  argumentative,  confident 
of  truth,  taught  by  intuition,  confirmed  by  ex- 
perience. The  "  Apostle  of  Love  "  is  still  Bo- 
anerges, thundering  against  heresies  that  assail 
Christ's  divine  mediatorial  character.  Love  is 
not  laxity. 

The  Gospel  of  John  shows  sinners  how  to 
(138) 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


139 


get  eternal  life  by  believing :  the  Epistle  shows 
believers  how  to  know  that  they  have  eternal 
life.  Sonship  in  Christ  is  unto  heirship  of  life, 
and  there  are  plain  features  by  which  the  son 
and  heir  of  God  is  to  be  known.  The  compre- 
hensive test  is  Fellowship.  {KoivGjvia  or 
"  having  all  things  common,"  Acts  iv.  32.)  This 
fellowship  is  both  with  God  and  with  the  godly, 
i.  3  ;  and  is  marked  by  three  conditions : 

1.  God  is  LigJit.  Light  stands  for  truth, 
purity,  knowledge,  and  joy.  The  believer  has 
no  fellowship  with  a  lie,  with  what  is  evil  and 
vile.  He  confesses  sin,  is  cleansed  by  the 
blood,  and  kept  by  the  advocacy  of  Christ. 

2.  God  is  Love.  He  loves  holiness  with  pure 
complacence,  and  souls  with  pure  benevolence. 
Love  implies  hate  of  all  sin.  The  believer  has 
fellowship  in  this  love,  and  dwells  in  it.  It  is  a 
law  of  his  life.  He  loves  God  for  what  He  is, 
and  the  godly  for  the  godlike  in  them. 

3.  God  is  Life.  Life,  opposed  to  Death,  is 
the  very  principle  of  antagonism  to  evil  and 
assimilation  to  good.  The  law  of  the  new  life 
is  obedience.  Seeds  of  evil  still  exist  in  the 
child  of  God  :  but  they  should  not  germinate^ 
and  cannot  dominate,  for  God's  seed  is  in  him. 
There  is,  therefore,  a  new  Affinity,  Regenera- 
tion ;  a  new  Attitude,  Resistance  to  evil ;  a  new 
Advafice,  toward  perfection.  The  results  ot  such 
feJlowship  are  a  twofold  witness  to  sonship,  ex- 


I40 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


ternal  and  internal,  the  witness  of  the  Word 
and  the  witness  of  the  Spirit. 

Divisions:  I.:  i.  1-4.  Introductory.  The 
Logos :  His  Eternity  and  Identity  with  the 
Father :  His  revelation  in  the  flesh. 

II.:  i.  5 — ii.  II.  The  Message  concerning 
Light. 

III. :  ii.  12 — V.  3.  The  Message  concerning 
Love. 

IV. :  V.  4-21.    The  Message  concerning  Life. 


II.  JOHN. 

Key-word :  Walk  (in  Truth).     Key-verse:  6. 

Like  Paul's  to  Philemon,  this  is  a  pri- 
vate personal  letter,  addressed  to  an  un- 
known Christian  woman  and  her  pious 
family.  It  belongs  to  the  timey  and  bears 
the  tone,  of  the  first  Epistle.  It  sets  a  high 
value  on  the  piety  of  a  mother  and  her 
household ;  and  warns  against  the  abuse  of 
hospitality  by  those  who  would  undermine 
holy  living  and  propagate  error.  It  is  a 
tribute  to  the  Dignity  of  Womanhood, 
Wifehood,  and  Motherhood. 

Here  Home  and  Household  are  honored  as 
spheres  of  service.  Woman  is  tempted  to  envy 
the  wider  public  sphere  of  man.  But  her  hand 
is  on  the  potter'swheel  where  vessels  are  shaped 
for  the  master. 

Here  Home  and  Household  are  guarded. 
John  warns  us  against  those  who  not  only  err 
in  doctrine,  but  who  sow  the  seeds  of  heresy 
and  iniquity.  Hospitality  is  not  forbidden,  nor 
courtesy ;  but  proper  guards  are  placed  about 
a  home  where  evil  teachers  might  work  great 
harm. 

U41) 


III.  JOHN 

Key-word:  Fellow-heLper  (to  the  Truth;. 
Key-verse:  8. 

This  letter  is  somewhat  like  the  other, 
but  it  is  to  a  man,  addressed  by  name,  prob- 
ably the  Gaius  who  was  Paul's  convert  and 
host.  I  Cor.  i.  14.  Rom.  xvi.  23.  As, 
in  the  second  letter,  hospitality  was  forbid- 
den toward  propagators  of  error,  here  it  is 
especially  encouraged  toward  promulgators 
of  the  truth.  The  elect  lady  was  warned 
not  to  be  partaker  of  their  evil  deeds  ;  here 
Gaius  is  praised  as  fellow-helper  to  the 
truth. 

Gaius  is  congratulated  on  soul-health  as  shown 
by  his  loyalty  to  truth  and  its  representatives. 
Here  again  is  a  hint  as  to  service.  One  may 
have  a  very  quiet  sphere — be  no  public  speaker 
or  prominent  worker,  but,  by  acting  the  host  and 
the  true  giver,  receive  the  prophet,  help  his 
work  and  share  his  reward.     Matt.  x.  41. 

Diotrephes  is  held  up  as  a  warning,  not  for 
heresy,  but  for  his  ambition  and  selfishness, 
There  are  other  ways  of  rending  a  church,  be- 
side doctrinal  error.  Demetrius  is  commended 
as  a  witness  to  the  truth. 
(142) 


JUDE. 

Key-word:  Kept.     Key-verse:  21,24. 

This,  the  last  of  the  Epistles,  mainly  ad- 
dresses Heorew  converts,  and  hence  as- 
sumes the  familiarity  of  the  reader  with 
Old  Testament  history.  It  is  a  warning 
against  Apostasy.  Faith  makes  faithful 
saints,  who,  contending  for  the  faith  and 
persevering,  are  preserved  by  Grace  and 
presented  in  Glory.  The  contrast  is  mark- 
ed between  those  who  kept  not  their  first 
estate  and  are  kept  for  judgment,  and  those 
who  keep  themselves  and  are  kept  from 
falling. 

Apostasy  is  presented  in  representative  exam- 
ples:  Antinoinians,  v,'ho  turn  gracious  liberty 
into  lascivious  license  ;  unbelieving  Israel  in  the 
Exodus;  disobedient  angels ;  lustful  Sodomites; 
self-righteous  Cain  ;  greedy  Balaam  ;  presumptu- 
ous Korah ;  and  blasphemous  mockers.  All  of 
us  are  either  reserved  for  the  Day  of  Condem- 
nation, ox  preserved  for  the  Day  of  Presentation. 

(143) 


144  KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 

If  we  keep  ourselves  in  the  Love  of  God,  fighting 
for  the  faith,  building  up  ourselves  upon  the 
faith,  praying  in  the  Holy  Ghost  and  looking 
for  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  God  will  keep  us 
(guard  as  with  a  garrison). 

The  author  is  Jude  or  Judas.    Time  65-80  A.D. 

Divisions:  L     1,2.    Salutation. 
n. :  3.  The  Exhortation. 
in. :  4-16.     Warning  Examples. 
IV.:  17-23.     Secrets  of  Preservation. 
V. :  24,  25.     Grand  Doxology. 


REVELATION. 

Key-word:    REVELATION  {anoKokv^ii).     Key- 
verse :    I.  I. 

Apocalypse  is  the  opposite  of  Mystery- 
(^fxvGrrfpior).  The  Books  of  Daniel  and 
of  John  are  closely  linked,  and  from  them 
with  those  of  Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  and  Zechari- 
ah,  all  Apocalyptic  literature  is  constructed. 
Daniel  cast  light  on  the  Former  Days,  be- 
tween the  Captivity  and  the  Fall  of  Jerusa- 
lem ;  John,  on  the  Last  Days,  from  the 
Fall  of  the  Holy  City  to  the  Second  Com- 
ing of  the  Lord. 

John  probably  wrote  this  book  between  Paul's 
death,  64  a.d.  and  his  own,  98  A.D.  Patmos, 
the  scene  of  his  exile,  suggests  much  of  the 
symbolism  of  the  Apocalypse;  on  every  side, 
the  sea  with  the  sound  of.  many  waters ;  the 
broad  Grecian  sky  with  its  massive  clouds  and 
fearful  storms;  the  mountain  ranges  of  Asia 
Minor,  encircling  the  seven  churches,  etc. 

Apocalyptic  prophecy  is  essentially  symbolic. 
10  (145) 


146 


KEYS    TO    THE    WORD. 


Mysteries,  having  no  analogy  in  earthly  things 
or  past  events,  demand  images  for  their  expres- 
sion. But  symbols  are  not  themselves  of  neces- 
sity added  mysteries,  and  in  this  case  more 
than  fifty  of  them  are  explained  by  their  equiv- 
alents as  found,  not  only  in  other  Scriptures 
but  in  this  book  itself.  Cf.  xii.  9  ;  xvi.  13,  14  ; 
xvii.  18,  etc. 

There  appears  here  a  numerical  system.  God 
is  the  God  of  order,  number,  proportion,  in  every 
province  of  creation,  as  seen  in  crystals,  plants, 
and  animal  structure.  And  here  numbers  are 
used  to  express  ideas.  One  is  the  number  of 
Unity ;  two,  of  contrast  or  confirmation  ;  three, 
of  Trinity,  and  so  of  Godhead ;  four,  of  the 
world  and  creation ;  seven,  which  is  the  sum 
of  three  and  four,  the  Union  of  Divine  and 
human  activity ;  twelve,  the  product  of  three 
and  four,  the  human  pervaded  by  the  divine ; 
and  these  numbers,  seven  and  twelve^  with  ten^ 
which  is  the  sum  of  one,  two,  three,  and  four, 
are  numbers  of  completeness  :  ^\v\q  five,  which 
is  the  half  often,  six,  which  stops  short  of  seven, 
and  three  and  a  half,  the  half  of  seven,  and  a 
broken  number,  represent  incompleteness,  un- 
rest, and  disaster.  ^  It  is  a  significant  fact  that 
'666,  the  number  of  perpetual  unrest,  is  the 
number  of  the  Beast ;  and  888,  the  number  of 
eternal  triumph,  is  the  numerical  equivalent  of 
Jesus  (^rjaovi). 


KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 


H7 


There  are  /our  systems  of  interpretation :  i. 
The  Prcterist,  which  traces  here  Jewish  history 
down  to  the  Fall  of  Jerusalem  and  of  Pagan 
Rome.  2.  The  Prescntist,  which  finds  here  an 
outline  of  events  during  the  whole  period  since 
the  writing  of  the  prophecy.  3.  The  Futurist, 
which  refers  it  to  events  closely  linked  with  the 
Second  Coming  of  Christ.  4.  The  Spiritual, 
which  regards  the  book  as  a  Battle-scene  where 
all  the  great  leading  forces  of  Evil  are  brought 
into  line  against  Christ  and  His  followers, 
for  the  last,  great  Conflict  of  the  Ages.  In 
this  view  the  book  is  not  so  much  a  particular 
as  a  general  prophecy,  an  outline  which  fits, 
more  or  less  fully,  various  historic  periods, 
and  from  which  in  every  age  the  Church 
may  learn  what  disguises  the  Devil  assumes, 
against  what  foes  within  and  without  she 
needs  to  be  on  guard,  and  how  sure  is  the 
Final  Victory. 

T\\t,  principal  charm  of  the  Apocalypse  is  that 
it  reveals  the  End  of  all  things.  On  the  one 
hand,  ^W/ reaches  its  final  and  full  development ; 
all  the  forms  of  enmity  toward  God  and  godli- 
ness come  to  their  awful  ripeness  in  the  Harlot, 
the  False  Prophet,  the  Beast,  and  the  Dragon. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  saints,  under  the 
lead  of  the  "  Seed  of  the  Woman,"  achieve  the 
victory,  and  all  foes  are  put  to  rout  forever. 
The  Kingdom  is  established  upon  the  ruins  of 


148  KEYS   TO    THE    WORD. 

all  hostile  powers  and  dominions,  and  the  last 
Enemy,  Death,  is  destroyed. 

And  so,  all  things  are  made  new.  Paradise 
Lost  becomes  Paradise  Regained.  Once  more 
the  Tree  of  Life  is  seen  by  the  River  of  the 
Water  of  Life  ;  once  more  the  Tabernacle  of 
God  is  with  men ;  but  the  curse  of  sin  that 
blasted  the  first  Eden  shall  no  more  blight  the 
second  Eden.  As  we  compare  the  opening  of 
Genesis  with  the  close  of  Revelation,  we  find 
that  we  have  been  following  the  perimeter  of  a 
Golden  Ring, — the  two  extremities  of  human 
history  meet;  from  the  Creation  and  Eden  with 
the  Fall,  we  have  at  last  come  to  the  New  Crea- 
tion, and  Paradise  without  a  Fall.  And  so,  as 
the  Book  of  God  closes,  it  fixes  the  last  look  of 
the  reader  upon  the  Coming  One  whose  Personal 
Presence  {napovaioc)  is  to  be  the  signal  for  the 
Final  Consummation  of  Victory  and  Blessed- 
ness ! 

"  Surely  I  Come  Quickly  ! " 

"  Amen  ! 

"Even  so,  Come,  Lord  Jesus  1" 


// 


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BS511.P62 

Keys  to  the  word  :  or,  Help  to  Bible 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00046  8415 


